My Spring
by Santashelper834
Summary: This is a story about a boy and a girl, of ice and fire, of the moon and the sun, of winter and spring.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, here goes nothing. This is my first attempt at a full-length story and I really hope it turns out. Please enjoy!

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><p>My Spring<p>

It was a blistering hot afternoon in May, or at least it was blistering hot to Toshiro Hitsugaya. He was in his office trying to escape the heat and doing even more paperwork; Matsumoto was nowhere to be found. After taking a large gulp of water he looked back at what he had written and sighed; if it wasn't so hot maybe he could walk around outside. Picking up his pen again and continuing his paperwork, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," he said in a slightly annoyed tone. He didn't look up to see who it was but waited for them to speak first.

"Um, hi Hitsugaya," came a quiet voice that he knew so well. Finally looking up, he saw Hinamori's head poking out of the doorway.

"Oh Hinamori, it's you." He was slightly surprised to find her of all people come to his office.

Leaving the door partly open, Hinamori walked to the middle of the room. Hitsugaya noticed she seemed a bit nervous. It wasn't like she had never been in his office before but she was looking everywhere else in the room except for him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled by the way she was acting.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to see how you were doing." All nervousness seemed to vanish as she smiled. She walked over to him and sat down next to him on his desk, toes barely skimming the floor as they swung back and forth.

They sat in silence for a few moments; Hinamori gazing out the window in front of her and Hitsugaya seemingly continuing his paperwork but his thoughts were elsewhere. Glancing over at him, Hinamori noticed that he was just staring at the sheet of paper on his desk and smiled to herself.

"How was your mission?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It wasn't that exciting. Nothing really happened," was his answer, but he still didn't look at her. "How was yours?"

"It wasn't that exciting either, just a small hollow that anyone could have killed," she said and turned back to the window. Silence found them again. "It's such a nice day today. Do you want to go on a walk with me?"

Hitsugaya finally looked at her with surprise. "But it's too hot."

"Oh come on! It's not that hot, and you're always inside doing paperwork. You need a break," Hinamori protested, a hopeful smile on her face.

The longer Hitsugaya looked at her, the more he wanted to go with her. How could he resist that smile and those big brown eyes? "Alright," sighing, he pushed away from the desk and stood up.

"Really?" This time it was Hinamori's turn to be surprised, she didn't think he would agree so easily.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so you better get off my desk before I change my mind." She quickly hopped of his desk and started for the door, pausing to make sure he was following her.

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><p>Matsumoto knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping but she couldn't help herself. She had to hand it to Hinamori, after she and Renji had been poking fun at her about Hitsugaya the girl had marched off in a huff. Thinking she had gone back to her division, Matsumoto thought it would be fun to tease her captain but had found the girl with him already, sitting on his desk even. They were just staring at each other; Hinamori with a hopeful smile on her face and Hitsugaya with his same non-expressive face but she could see his resolve breaking. He agreed to something which Hinamori responded with surprise and then he told her to get off his desk or he was going to change his mind. Realization struck her when Hinamori began walking to the door that Matsumoto's head was sticking out of. Slipping into the shadows just before the girl walked through the door; she noticed she seemed more than happy about what was going on. As Hitsugaya walked past she heard him sigh, it wasn't a sigh of annoyance or stress but a sigh of contentment. Matsumoto chuckled to herself, this would be interesting.<p>

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><p>"Where are we going?" Hitsugaya asked while quickening his pace to catch up to Hinamori. They had just walked out of the tenth division into the scorching heat.<p>

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Exasperated, he abruptly stopped walking and crossed his arms over his chest. Hinamori stopped walking as well and turned to face him.

"What? It was just a spur of the moment thing." Taking a few steps toward him Hinamori tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, let's just start walking. We'll end up somewhere." She smiled brightly.

"Whatever." Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and began walking again. "You're still holding my sleeve," he pointed out. Trying to free himself, he gently tugged back his arm but her gripped tightened.

"It's to make sure you don't run off," Hinamori teased as they continued on their way.

Hitsugaya shook his head in amazement but smiled softly just the same. "I'm not going to run off," he mumbled but he didn't think she heard him.

They continued walking for about twenty minutes, past the other divisions, out through the Seireitei and into Rukongai. Instead of walking into town, Hinamori led him off to the left away from town. A few people they past, clearly stunned to see a vice captain and a captain outside the Seireitei but they didn't say anything; some either stared or quickly looked away.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" asked Hitsugaya, when had they put more distance between themselves and town.

Hinamori shook her head. "No, I have no idea where we're going, but I've never been over here and I want to check it out." Hitsugaya didn't say more on the subject but let her continue to pull him along in silence.

"Oh look!" Hinamori abruptly stopped and pointed excitedly to her left. "It looks like a pond. Come on, let's go!" She tugged on his sleeve eagerly and ran over to it, half dragging Hitsugaya with her.

The pond was fairly large with calm, clear blue-green water and many colored koi fish. There was an odd assortment of rocks jutting out to the middle of the pond like a small dock that was clearly man-made. At the far end of the pond there was a small shrine that had long since been abandoned. Hitsugaya had almost forgotten the heat as he and Hinamori had walked and here the pond was heavily shaded and there was a slight breeze that gently rustled the leaves overhead.

Hinamori finally let go of Hitsugaya's sleeve and walked to the edge of the pond. A bright orange fish close to the surface disturbed the calm water and sent ripples across the pond. She stared at the water's surface, the color seemed familiar somehow but she couldn't put her finger on it. Feeling a presence next to her, she turned to find Hitsugaya looking out at the water as well. His head was slightly tilted down and his eyes halfway open in an almost bored expression that he always wore. He seemed to sense her watching him because he turned his head to look at her and she met the same blue-green of his eyes as the pond. It was silly to realize she had just noticed how pretty his eyes were. She always looked at them but it hadn't occurred to her just how stunning their color was. Smiling timidly, she turned back to the pond.

"Let's make this place ours," she said abruptly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean just that. This will be our place, a place only we know. When we need something, we will come here and the other will find us." She turned to Hitsugaya to see his reaction. He had a look of disbelief on his face and one eyebrow was raised. "You think it's a stupid idea," she said with a frown.

He lowered his eyebrow, grinned and shook his head. "No, I think it's a good idea."

Her face light up. "Then you'll do it?" He nodded. "Oh, good!"

Spotting the rocks out into the water, Hinamori walked over to them. She carefully tiptoed along the edge of the rocks, sticking her arms out for balance.

"You're going to fall in," Hitsugaya said, eyeing her every movement skeptically.

"No I won't," answered Hinamori. When she reached the last rock she thought it would be fun to spin around and walk the way back. As she did so, her foot caught on the other and she fell backwards into the pond with a loud splash. Laughing and sputtering, she stood up, the water only coming to her waist. Hitsugaya was already there on the rocks looking down at her with a very amused expression.

"I told you, you would fall in." He bent down and offered her his hand. A part of her really wanted to pull him into the water but she knew he would be in a foul mood the rest of the day for getting wet, so instead she took his hand and allowed him to pull her out.

"Thanks Little Shiro, I guess I should listen to you more," she teased while water trickled down her face.

Hitsugaya bonked her on the head with the palm of his hand. "It's not Little Shiro, it's Captain Hitsugaya," he said and turned around and walked off of the rocks.

Rubbing her head, Hinamori chased after him. "I knew I should have pulled you in!"

He shot her a dirty look. "It's a good thing you didn't."

"Or what, _Little_ Shiro?" she walked over to him, making sure to emphasize the word 'little'. "I'm not afraid of you." She stood a few feet from him and put her hands on her hips.

Folding his arms across his chest and looking at her hard, Hitsugaya answered with annoyance, "How many times do I have to tell you, it's not Little Shiro, it's captain."

"I don't care what your status is; you'll always be Little Shiro to me." He just sighed and shook his head, giving up for the moment.

Hinamori looked at him, really looked at him. They were about the same height now, she still beat him by an inch or two but his hair made him seem taller. Suddenly hitting her, she realized he really was quiet good looking. He still had child-like features but she could tell he was growing out of them quickly. She couldn't help wondering what he would look like in ten years. Meeting those eyes of his, she saw something in them that puzzled her. They seemed to sparkle at her, they weren't cold at all like many claimed. For some reason it made her nervous and she was suddenly self conscious about what she looked like, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

Hitsugaya released his gaze first only to take off his captain's haori, take a step towards her, and fling it around her shoulders. "You really are a baby," he teased. She hadn't even realized she was shivering or just how cold she was.

He didn't step away but reached out and peeled a few strands of wet hair from her cheek that she had been meaning to un-plaster from her face. She could feel her eyes grow as big as saucers as she felt his fingers brush against her skin. Just as a pail of water over a candle's flame, the sparkle in Hitsugaya's eyes disappeared and he spun around and marched away.

Confused as ever, Hinamori called after him, "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," he called over his shoulder, "I'm going to check out the shrine."

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><p><em>What was wrong with him?<em> Hitsugaya looked down at his shaking hands as he walked away from Hinamori. He could not believe he had just done that to her!He could feel his cheeks burning and mentally shook himself. _Get a grip on yourself and stop acting like a fool! _But he couldn't help but reach out to her; she had been staring at him like…like. He didn't know what, but it had made him want to touch her and he had given in. The biggest problem wasn't that he did it, it was that he wanted to do it again; he was just embarrassed. Why was he acting like this?

_It's because you love her, _a voice whispered in the back of his head.

Love her? Hitsugaya stumbled over his feet. He knew he had had feelings for her ever since, well ever since he had first met her; he didn't think it was love though.

"Is something wrong?"

He tripped and nearly face-planted in the mud, he spun his head around to find Hinamori walking next to him. How long had she been there? She was still wet and clung to his haori around her shoulders; she wore a confused and worried expression. He could feel his face burning again and quickly looked away, shaking his head.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure." They stopped when they arrived at the small shrine.

"I wonder who put it here," Hinamori wondered out loud.

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Who knows." From the corner of his eye he could see her watching him and cautiously turned his head to look at her. She had on a very bright smile but she was still shivering.

"When you can't find me, I'll be here. OK?"

Hitsugaya couldn't keep his lips from curving into a smile. He was still more than a little embarrassed about earlier but maybe he'd give in, just for today.

"So will I."

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><p>Oh goodness! I hope someone likes this. I don't know why I write love stories, it always makes me feel awkward and I'm more of an action kind of person . All I can do is write little things that I hope are cute and not too sappy. Anyway, enough of my rambling. More chapters will be coming soon! :))<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there! I would like to introduce a new character, his name is Fluffy Bunny and he will be appearing in this story frequently.

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><p>She lost them. Matsumoto had followed a ways after Hitsugaya and Hinamori but when she turned a corner after them, they disappeared. Assuming they went to Rukongai, she walked through town searching for them but to no avail. They were gone. Defeated and disappointed, Matsumoto slowly began the trek back to the Seireitei. Upon arriving at the Tenth Division, a messenger greeted her.<p>

"Vice Captain Matsumoto," the messenger said while bowing to the ground.

"What is it?" she answered with annoyance, tapping her finger on her arm impatiently.

"Captain Hitsugaya is requested at an urgent meeting."

"Well he's not here. I tried to look for him but obviously he doesn't want to be found." With a flip of her long hair Matsumoto turned to leave.

"Ma'am …" The messenger began.

"I'll let the captain know when he arrives and I'm not sure when that will be, or you can tell them to reschedule the meeting. There's little I can do when the captain wants to be alone."

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><p>Hitsugaya didn't want to be anywhere else except where he was at that very moment. After Hinamori dried from her tumble into the pond, the two of them had headed back into town and then decided to visit their old house where they reminisced about the past. Now they were perched on top of the roof with a perfect view of the sunset and Hitsugaya found he could think of little else besides the pretty, wide-eyed girl next to him.<p>

"I didn't realize how much I've missed this until now," Hinamori said in a hushed tone as if speaking too loudly would make the sunset disappear.

"Me too," he replied equally as quiet. They sat in silence a while, thoughts lost in the bright orange and pinks of the sky. From the corner of his eye, Hitsugaya saw Hinamori turn to him.

"Your hair is the same color as the sunset," she remarked with delight. He looked up as if he could see it and she giggled. Suddenly, she reached out and ran her fingers through his now orange and pink hair. She dropped her hand and turned shyly back to the sky when their eyes met for a split second. Then, to his great surprise, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Gathering enough courage, he slipped his arm around her and grinned when he felt her sigh.

"I'm so glad we went on this walk together, it was fun. I'm just sad the day is almost over," Hinamori whispered.

"I am too," He answered. She peered up at him with eyes shining. They were very close Hitsugaya realized… No, he wouldn't let himself think about that, they were just friends. He was younger than her, shorter than her; she would never think of him as anything other than a friend or a younger brother. He had to stop himself from grimacing. A younger brother… than there really would be no hope for him.

"Really?"

He nodded and to his own surprise continued on. "You were right, I did need a break. It's nice to get away every once in a while. And for the first time in a long time I feel…" he searched for the right word, "Normal."

"You were never normal, Shiro," Hinamori teased still looking up at him with her head on his shoulder.

He felt himself grin. "I guess you're right."

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><p>"Hinamori…Hinamori." Someone called from far away in her dream. She flinched as a drop of water hit her face, then another. "Momo, wake up," the voice called again and her eyes flickered open to reveal Hitsugaya's face leaning over her. Night had fallen and his white hair seemed to illuminate in the darkness.<p>

"You fell asleep," he said. Hinamori sat up, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. "We should get going," he continued. "It's starting to rain and I think a storm is coming." Sure enough, there was a strong gust of wind that made the branches of the trees sway, and the rain came down harder.

Still groggy after her nap, Hinamori wearily got to her feet and raised her arms to stretch but Hitsugaya put an arm around her waist and gently jumped off the roof. She was just beginning to realize how much she liked having his arms around her, however, her joy was short-lived as he released her as soon as their feet touched the ground. Taking her by the hand, it was his turn to pull her along. They jogged down the muddy streets of Rukongai, the fat drops of rain pounding the ground and the wind threatened to tear Hitsugaya's haori from her grasp that she had used as a blanket. Others were scurrying around them, seeking for shelter. Hitsugaya slowed down and led her to a small building with an overhanging roof that was large enough to stand under without getting rained on.

"Let's stay here until the rain stops," he suggested.

Both of them were dripping wet and mud caked their feet and their robes. Hinamori took her hair out of its bun and rang the soggy cloth out. There was no use in trying to put it up again. As she was brushing her fingers through her hair, there was a sudden flash of light and deep rolling thunder soon after that made her jump. _Oh no, why did there have to be lightning?_ She glanced at Hitsugaya to see if he noticed her jump but he was looking out at the rain, completely unfazed. As if taunting her, there was another flash and a loud crackle of thunder. She jumped again and squeezed her eyes shut. When she felt it was safe, she slowly opened her eyes to reveal a very amused Hitsugaya.

"You're afraid of lightning," he remarked bluntly.

"No I'm not." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm _not_." But as soon as she said the words there was yet another flash and she flinched. "Fine, I am," she grumbled.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want that to be another thing you made fun of me for," she pouted, wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the wall.

"I'm not going to make fun of you." Hinamori glanced at him as his face grew soft. She jumped and shut her eyes when there was another flash and thunder. Hitsugaya gave a small sigh. "Come here."

Her eyes flew open. "What?"

"Come here," he said, firm yet gentle.

He came to stand in front of her and carefully took her hands. She stared at him, trying to read his face but he wouldn't look at her and kept his expression blank. Pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her, Hinamori stood there stunned and without a clue on what to do. But when she grew scared as another crackle of thunder sounded, she clung to him and buried her face in his shoulder. His fingers smoothed her hair and he whispered comfort in her ear that sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Closing her eyes and concentrating on his words she knew that as long as Hitsugaya was there, she didn't need to be frightened. No one had ever held her like this and she _never_ thought it would be him. She didn't know how long they stayed like that but she knew she didn't want it to end, but life always threw a curve and she could hear someone shouting, "Captain Hitsugaya!" She heard Hitsugaya mumble a curse and he slowly withdrew from her.

"I guess we've been gone far too long. Everyone is looking for you," she smiled as she said so.

They could see a messenger jogging down the road, still calling for Hitsugaya who stepped out from under the roof to greet him. "What is it," Hitsugaya said annoyed. The messenger bowed low.

"You have been requested at an urgent meeting Captain." He glanced behind Hitsugaya and saw Hinamori.

Hitsugaya rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, tell them I'll be there shortly." The messenger bow again once to him and to Hinamori, then was gone.

Hinamori walked over to Hitsugaya. The rain had died down to a sprinkle, the wind had stopped and there was no sign of lightning. "You should go," she said when she reached him.

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I think the lightning stopped." Her smile was greeted by his grin.

As she looked at him her smile faded, then she bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. Leaning forward, she whispered, "Thank you," in his ear and kissed his cheek, letting her lips linger on his cool skin. When she stepped back, Hitsugaya's eyes were as big as moons and they were blinking rapidly. Trying not to laugh and to hide her burning face, she shyly looked down at her feet. She saw his hand reach out to hers to take it and she glanced up.

"I…" Hitsugaya began and paused, "I'll see you around." Then in a flash he was gone and her hand fell limp to her side.

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><p>It was eerily quiet in the Tenth Division office as Matsumoto finished up the last of her captain's paperwork that he had long forgotten. She wanted to get it done with and get out of there as quickly as possible. Not five minutes later she heard the door open as someone walked in. That could only be one person.<p>

"Captain!" Matsumoto said excitedly. "What happened to you?" She asked upon seeing him. He came to lean against the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. His feet and robe were muddy and his hair, if possible, was crazier than usual.

"I got caught in the storm," he said simply.

"Where's your haori?" She suddenly realized he wasn't wearing it which was strange, he never forgot it. He mumbled something that she couldn't hear. "What?"

"I forgot it," he said annoyed. "Yamamoto already gave me a huge lecture about how important it is and how it's a symbol of our duties."

She chuckled. "Sounds like something he would say. Oh! You need to go to a meeting. This messenger wouldn't stop bothering me about it."

"I already went."

"How was it?"

"It wasn't anything I didn't already know." His brows furrowed. "What are you doing?" It seemed to finally hit him that she was sitting at his desk with actual paperwork in front of her.

"I'm doing your paperwork that you carelessly forgot." He didn't respond but merely raised a skeptical eyebrow. Asking the question that had been nagging her the whole day she said, "Where have you been?"

Instead of answering he suddenly became interested in his shoes. "Out," he finally said.

As she watched him, she could tell something was bothering him. She knew Hitsugaya very well and she knew that if she waited patiently he would tell her. _Ok, that's definitely a lie. _He shuffled his feet then sat down on the couch.

"Can I ask you something Matsumoto?" That caught her interest; what did the little captain need her advice for?

"Of course!" Growing impatient the longer she waited for a reply, she went over to him and sat next to him on the couch. He looked like such a little kid, and then she reminded herself that he _was_ a little kid. She had never seen him like this though. He was fiddling with his thumbs and he couldn't sit still. Peering at him with her head tilted, she asked, "What's bothering you?"

He fidgeted some more, then took a deep breath to gather courage. Staring out in front of him, he said very quietly, "Say you…kissed someone on the cheek. What would that mean?"

Matsumoto clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Hitsugaya glared from the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry." Slowly she took her hands from her mouth to give her time to control herself. "That surprised me. So, you kissed someone?" she asked while grinning.

"No," he said bluntly.

"Then someone kissed you?" No response. "Well, it depends on who it is. It would mean something different if I kissed you on the cheek or if, say Unohana or Hinamori did." Matsumoto caught the blush on his cheeks at the mention of Hinamori. "What happened before?"

Hitsugaya paused for a moment, the blush on the cheeks darkening. "I was comforting her. Then she thanked me." He finally looked at Matsumoto. "I'm confused; I don't know why she did it."

Matsumoto thought for a moment. "Hinamori has gone through a lot, with Aizen and all. She really cared about him and he betrayed her. I think she's beginning to trust again and it's only natural that it'll be you first. She's coming around; just don't do anything stupid that might betray her trust." Hitsugaya nodded, soaking in everything she said. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it so much. The worst thing you can do is make it awkward." Dropping her hand, she nudged him with her elbow. "So, how was your date with Hinamori?"

He scowled and stood up. "I'm tired, I'm going to bed."

As he headed to the door, Matsumoto called after him. "What about your paperwork?"

"You can finish it," he called over his shoulder and was gone.

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><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things are about to get really interesting after this. Chapter 3 coming soon. :)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

So, I officially hate technology now and I'm pretty sure it has hated me for a long time. My stupid laptop freaked out (mainly because it's mine and I have a tendency of breaking things). Thank goodness I have a computer genius as a brother and I didn't loose anything. :D

I definitely think I'm better at one-shots than long stories but I am having way to much fun writing this to stop.

Here's chapter three! (I still don't know a lot about Bleach so if I get something wrong, please forgive me.)

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><p>A few days after their day spent together, Hinamori found herself awake earlier than usual. Not being able to get back to sleep, she decided to dress and to take a stroll while the sun came up. She was walking out of the fifth division and into the courtyard when she saw a familiar head of white hair standing with a tall blonde. Hinamori and Hitsugaya had seen little of one another with their busy lives except when she had returned his haori. Upon walking up to them, she noticed Hitsugaya's eyes widened and he mumbled something to Matsumoto. She had the feeling she wasn't supposed to be there but Matsumoto turned around smiling and said happily:<p>

"Hinamori!"

"Hi Matsumoto, hey Hitsguaya," Hinamori replied, coming up next to them. Hitsugaya nodded to her but didn't look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you guys, I just wanted to say hello."

"Oh no, you weren't interrupting anything. The captain here is about to go on a mission and I'm sending him off," Matsumoto said. Hinamori barely caught a hint of anger in her voice; she put on a puzzled expression.

"You're going alone?" She asked, turning to Hitsguaya but he glanced at her then looked up at Matsumoto as she began to explain.

"Yeah, I'm being left behind."Again Hinamori caught the anger in her voice.

"I should get going," Hitsguaya finally spoke. He turned around and opened the gate but before he could take a step towards it, Matsumoto had him in one of her infamous bear hugs. Finally letting him go, he said, "Bye Matsumoto." Then he turned to Hinamori. "Bye Hinamori."

She smiled sweetly. "Bye Hitsguaya. Be safe, and promise me you'll come home soon." He finally looked her in the eyes. A sudden wave of sadness came over his face but then his lips flickered in the smallest of smiles.

"I promise."

A small breeze blew her sleeve, tickling her hand and sent a strange shiver up her spine.

Hitsugaya headed to the gate but stopped before stepping through, looking back at Matsumoto then to Hinamori. He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes boring into hers. She smiled brightly back and waved a hand in goodbye, wondering why he looked so sad. Smiling one last time, he disappeared through the gate.

It had been almost a week since Hitsugaya's departure and Hinamori found herself anticipating his arrival back, she was really beginning to miss him. There were whispers that something wrong had happened because he was long overdue. Hinamori paid them no attention, she was confident that he would come back. Going about her daily business as Fifth Division vice captain, she never dreamed the day would end so horribly.

It was a very warm and sunny afternoon in May. Everyone was trying to spend most of their time outdoors as was Hinamori. She was heading to the Seventh Division to send a message from her captain when she noticed a commotion in the courtyard. Thinking that Hitsugaya had finally come back, she quickly walked towards the group. Upon arrival she sensed something was wrong. Everyone shared worried expressions and fervent whispering. She caught one say: "If a captain was killed, there was no way someone like us could have stood a chance." Her heart nearly stopped, there was only one captain she knew of that had been out. Shoving her way through the crowd, she stopped just on the inside of the circle. Unohana was bent over a small figure. Catching a glimpse of spiky white hair, Hinamori covered her mouth with trembling hands. _It couldn't be. _She began walking to them but felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she found Matsumoto who shook her head solemnly. Her face was oddly expressionless.

"There is nothing to see here! Now leave!" Hinamori heard Yamamoto's booming voice as he made his way to the center of the crowd. Everyone dispersed except Hinamori, Matsumoto and a few captains who had found out about the situation. "Who found him?"

"I did Sir," Matsumoto spoke up.

"How did you find him?"

"I found him lying here," Matsumoto explained, her eyes slightly glaring at Yamamoto. There was definitely something going on that Hinamori didn't know about. "I'm not sure if he was still alive or not when he came back."

Unohana slowly stood up and Hinamori could now clearly see Hitsguaya lying on the ground. Hinamori let out a stifled gasp. A part of her knew it was him but she didn't want to believe it, and she couldn't believe it still.

"He's been gone for a while I'm afraid," Unohana said gently.

"So, someone just dumped him here and that was it?" Ukitake said a flash of anger in his voice.

"We can't know for sure. Unohana, get him somewhere more private. I need to speak with Central 46." Yamato turned to leave as did most of the other captains. Unohana ordered two of her squad members to fetch a stretcher.

Hinamori stepped forward. "Captain Unohana," she said while bowing. "May I…May I see Hitsguaya one last time?" She asked timidly.

"Of course dear," she peered at her with sad eyes. "Take as long as you need."

"Thank you."

Hinamori slowly walked over to Hitsugaya and knelt down next to him. Gazing down at him, he simply looked like he was asleep having a peaceful dream. There were no signs of cuts or bruises; he looked perfect like he always had. She gently touched his cheek where she had kissed him and couldn't help but smile slightly; his reaction had been priceless. Truth be told, she wasn't sad, she was happy; happy that she got to know him, happy that they got to spend so much time together. It hadn't hit her yet that he was gone.

"This is too much."

Hinamori looked up at Matsumoto who was quickly dashing away her tears. Their eyes met for a second, then Matsumoto spun around and half ran away. _Poor Matsumoto_, she thought. She knew exactly what it felt like to lose a captain, maybe she would talk to her later. Hinamori turned back to Hitsugaya.

"Little Shiro," she whispered very quietly and barely moved her mouth so no one could hear. "You're my best friend; life won't be the same without you." She fingered the ends of his hair. "I wish I could have done more for you." Thinking it would be strange to kiss a body; she instead kissed the tips of her fingers and put them to his cheek. "Thank you Hitsugaya."

Noticing the fourth division members coming, Hinamori looked at Hitsguaya one last time before standing up and stepping back so they could do their job. She watched as they carefully moved him to the stretcher and laid a sheet over him, finally covering his face. A sudden wave of sadness came over her as they hauled him off and an arm dropped limply from the stretcher.

"How are you doing Hinamori?" She was startled when her captain spoke.

"I'm doing OK." She put on a weak smile.

"I heard you two were very close."

"Yes, we were. We grew up together, he and I. He was always there," she answered in a hushed tone. "My eyes can see that he's gone, but my mind hasn't comprehended it yet." The Fifth Division captain put a hand on her shoulder.

"I want you to take the rest of the day off."

"I'm alright," she protested.

"No," he insisted. "I want you to take the day off and rest. You need it."

"Thank you sir," she said and bowed.

Hinamori slowly walked back to the Fifth Division and to her room. When she entered the room, she paused, looked around, then spotting a book she picked it up, flipped through the pages and put it back. She sighed and went to her mat, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about Hitsugaya. She thought about his blue-green eyes and his smile; she thought of how it felt to have his arms around her, how her stomach fluttered when he took her hand; she even dreamt about him while she slept.

Evening had fallen when Hinamori awoke. Rubbing her eyes, she stood up and stumbled around her room to get to the lamp for some light. Standing in the middle of her now lit room, she tried to remember why she had gone back and slept. Like a flash flood, the day's events suddenly rushed to her mind: Hitsugaya had been found dead in the courtyard. She sat down hard on the floor, feeling the blood draining from her face. _He was dead._

She didn't move as her mind reflected back on that day, when she had seen him lying on the ground with no life in him. Why hadn't she been upset? When she found Aizen dead she had reacted much differently, she had been sure someone had killed him and wanted revenge. But when she saw Hitsugaya she hardly felt a thing, she couldn't feel a thing still. _Why?_ Hinamori slowly got to her feet. With trembling legs she headed for the door thinking a short walk would help ease her mind. As she put a hand on the door her eyes caught sight of a folded piece of paper on the floor with "Hinamori" across the top. Puzzled, she picked it up. She knew that handwriting, it was Hitsugaya's. Carefully unfolding it, she began to read:

Hinamori,

You know I'm not very good at this sort of thing, so here it goes.

I have a feeling we won't be seeing one another for a while. I want to let you know how grateful I am to you. I don't know if you know this, but you always have the right things to say and you're always there when I need you the most. Just know that whatever happens I'll always be with you.

-Hitsugaya

When she finished reading the letter tears where pouring down Hinamori's cheeks. It was short but sweet, something Hitsugaya would write. She had no idea she meant that much to him. To ease her sobbing, she put a hand on her chest and leaned against the wall. A thought suddenly came to her mind: that day at the pond. She had told him, "When you can't find me, I'll be here." "So will I," he had said. Letting the letter slip through her fingers, Hinamori flew open the door and flashed-stepped as fast as she could to the pond. Sweating and breathing hard, she got there in record time.

The full moon glistened eerily in the water. Everything was quiet except for the low chirp of insects. Hinamori stumbled to the edge of the pond and fell to her knees; her whole body shaking and eyes barely seeing through her tears.

"Hitsugaya," she whispered to the moon. "Hitsugaya," she said louder and her voice continued to rise. "Why did you leave me? I thought we would be together forever! I can't live without you! I need you!" Hinamori wrapped her arms around herself and leaned forward until her nose touched her knees. "Please stay with me." Her sobs became harder. "I need you…I want you Toshiro. I want you with me."

All of this time she was under the impression that she had once been in love with Aizen but now she was second guessing herself. He had never hurt her this much. Even when he betrayed her and tried to kill her, it didn't hurt as much as Hitsugaya dying. She continued to cry well into the night, not caring that she was laying in the mud or how cold she was.

_Hinamori, Hinamori. You need to stop crying. _

Hinamori let out a soft sob and lifted her head. "Tobiume?"

_Yes, it's me. Tell me what is upsetting you._

Hinamori sat up, wiping away the tears on her face. "Shiro's dead," she choked out, "And I don't know what to do."

_Is that all?_ She sounded a bit disappointed.

Puzzled, she thought for a moment. "Yes?"

_You still don't realize it, do you?_

"Realize what?"

_Nothing, I'm not going to tell you if you can't figure it out for yourself. _Hinamori scowled. _Now, you said you don't know what to do anymore because your small, white haired friend is dead. Think for a moment, what do you think he would do if it had been you?_

"He would pretend nothing was wrong and keep everything locked inside," she said instantly. "But I can't do that! I would explode!"

_No, I don't suppose you would be able to do that. But think; he wouldn't be lying in the mud crying for hours._

Hinamori looked down at her muddy robe and felt ashamed. "You're right, he wouldn't. He would stay strong and I guess his way of staying strong is by not showing emotion." She stood up and said with determination. "I have to stay strong! Not just for me, but for him and everyone else!"

_That's it. _

"Do you miss them? Hitsugaya and Hyorinmaru I mean."

Tobiume was silent for a while. _Yes, I do miss them. It's strange; I never thought I would miss that icy dragon. _

Hinamori giggled but replied sadly, "It seems unfair that you realize how important someone is to you after they're gone."

_All we can do is keep moving forward and hold on to our memories of that person, or else we forget. _

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><p>I told you things would get interesting.<p>

I had a really hard time writing this chapter. One day I sat down in front of my computer and listened to sad love songs and then this was born.

P.S. Some of the things Hinamori says are lines from the songs I listened to. Bahaha.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this chapter is so short but I figured everyone would be busy with the holidays so it worked out perfectly.

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><p>"That is <em>the<em> stupidest thing I have ever heard!" Matsumoto shouted angrily. She paced back and forth in the tenth division office. "And I can't believe you agreed to it!"

Hitsugaya watched his vice captain with his arms across his chest and sighed with annoyance. This was the exact reaction he expected when he told her. "Matsumoto," he warned dangerously.

"Faking your own death just for some stupid mission!" she continued yelling, throwing her hands in the air.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya shouted back, she was instantly quiet. "Shut up and calm down. All of Soul Society is going to find out with you yelling like that."

"But Captain, how could you agree to something like that?" Matsumoto asked more quietly but with the same angry tone.

"Because it's my job. I became a captain knowing full well the risks and sacrifices I would have to make." He calmly walked over to her.

"Why can't someone else do it?"

"Central 46 asked for me specifically. Nothing I can say will change their mind, even if I did try."

"Well, to be honest Captain, you're not as persuasive as I am." With a gleam in her eye, Matsumoto adjusted her robe so, if possible, even more cleavage showed. She headed for the door. "I'll talk to Yamamoto."

Hitsugaya shook his head in amazement. "Matsumoto stop, there's nothing you can do."

She paused at the door and turned sadly back to him. "I know, you're right but I wanted to at least try. How long will you be gone?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. However long it takes to get the job done. It could take years."

"What about everyone else? What about Hinamori?" Hitsugaya felt his heart sink to the floor. "She's going to come to me you know. What am I going to do when she's crying her eyes out because you broke her heart?"

His heart sank further, six feet under where he could feel the worms slowly eating it away at the mere thought of breaking Hinamori's heart. "I know that," he strained his voice to keep it under control. Looking up at Matsumoto and almost pleading, he continued, "You have to watch out for her for me. I can't bear the thought of something happening to her when I could have been there to protect her."

With a sympathetic look and a pat on the shoulder, Matsumoto answered, "Don't worry Captain, I'll look out for her. You can count on me."

"Thank you."

"But you owe me one!"

He scowled, "Fine." Noticing the time on the clock, he added, "come on, let's go. It's getting really late." They headed for the door but he stopped and turned to face Matsumoto. "Fix you're robe first. I don't want to see every male in the Seireitei spurting blood from their noses."

"Oh come on Captain!" Matsumoto joked while covering herself a little more. "You're just jealous at the thought of other men seeing me like this."

"Trust me, I'm not." Hitsugaya answered as he walked through the door and headed down the hallway. Matsumoto chuckled and closed the door softly behind her.

A few short days later, in the soft morning light, Hitsugaya found himself with Matsumoto in the courtyard, ready to depart on his dreaded mission. He had purposefully chosen the morning to leave as to avoid seeing anyone that might cause him to rethink his decision, namely Hinamori. Truth be told, he was trying to avoid her. He was afraid that if he saw her it would break his resolve and he couldn't afford to lose it now. Letting out a sigh, he turned to his vice captain.

"I guess this is it."

"I guess it is." There was a sad smile on Matsumoto's lips.

"Try not to make too much of a mess in the Tenth Division and help the poor soul who's going to take my place."

She laughed lightly. "You know me Captain, always willing to lend a helping hand."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah right." Taking a folded piece of paper from his robe, he held it out to Matsumoto. "Give this to Hinamori when…when the time is right." He kept his eyes locked on the note while she took it, and had to resist the urge to rip it out of her hands and burn it. This was not something he would normally do, but he didn't want to leave Hinamori without anything from him. "It's not sealed," he bravely added, knowing full well that she would have read it anyhow with or without an invitation to do so.

"I'll give it to her Captain." He would have caught the curious grin on Matsumoto's face if he hadn't spotted a certain dark haired girl coming their way.

"Oh no," he mumbled barely audible to his own ears. He could feel the dread building up inside of him. "It's Hinamori."

"Hinamori!" Matsumoto exclaimed with surprising enthusiasm.

"Hi Matsumoto, hey Hitsguaya," Hinamori said when she reached them. Hitsugaya could feel his head bob on its own accord while he avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you guys, I just wanted to say hello."

"Oh no, you weren't interrupting anything. The captain here is about to go on a mission and I'm sending him off," Matsumoto said. He was barely paying attention to what they were saying; he was busy trying to steady his pounding heart.

"You're going alone?" He heard Hinamori's voice and he dared a glance at her but quickly looked up at Matsumoto as she began to explain.

"Yeah, I'm being left behind."

"I should get going," Hitsguaya finally spoke, hoping his voice didn't betraying him by exposing his feeling. After opening the gate, Matsumoto hugged his so tightly that he couldn't breathe. He didn't mind so much this time. He hated to admit it, but he was going to miss his vice captain. Once she released him, he said, "Bye Matsumoto," then daringly turned to Hinamori. "Bye Hinamori."

Hinamori gave him one of her sweet smiles. "Bye Hitsguaya. Be safe, and promise me you'll come home soon." Not being able to help himself, he finally looked her in the eyes. His heart lurched when their eyes met, but seeing her standing in front of him he couldn't avoid the small smile from flickering across his lips.

"I promise." He wanted to reach out to her one last time and he would have if Matsumoto wasn't watching their every move like a hawk. However, he couldn't stop his hand from rebelling to gently brush against hers.

Hitsugaya then went to the gate, turning around to look back at Matsumoto then to Hinamori. He couldn't keep his eyes from boring into her dark brown ones. She was so beautiful. The morning sun poured pale light across her face, her cheeks where pink from the briskness of the air and her hair was sticking up in some spots. It was all he had to turn away from her and walk through that gate, smiling one last time just for her.

* * *

><p>As Matsumoto watched Hinamori kneel next to the fake Hitsugaya, she couldn't help the tears from welding in her eyes. It seemed as though the girl was remembering something because she smiled when she touched his cheek. The way Hinamori was looking at Hitsugaya was what got to her. There was a sparkle in her eye as she gazed down at him with such admiration and love that Matsumoto wanted to bring Hitsugaya back and point out to him that Hinamori was in fact coming around to him. Hinamori might have greatly admired Aizen once but now, as she saw her next to Hitsugaya, she knew there had been nothing more. Matsumoto could feel her tears running down her face and tried to wipe them away.<p>

"This is too much," she said quietly. Hinamori looked up at her then, but she quickly marched away or else risk blurting out that Hitsugaya wasn't really dead.

When Matsumoto reached the office, she immediately plopped down on the couch. It was too quiet. She half expected her captain to breeze through the door with a whoosh of his haori, and then tell her to stop slacking off. Letting out a long, drawn out sigh and rubbing her face with a weary hand, she carefully took Hitsugaya's note out of her pocket. She had meant to read it earlier but she couldn't bring herself to do it until now. Unfolding it slowly, she began to read. It was extremely short but Hitsugaya wasn't one to rant and he wrote everything he needed to without telling Hinamori that he was still alive.

"I didn't know you were such a romantic, Captain," she teased.

There was no response. Looking up to find no one there, it hit her for the first time: he was gone and he might never come back. Who knew she would miss that white haired kid so much? She grinned to herself, now she didn't have anyone to annoy. She folded the note; she would give it to Hinamori, and headed out the door into the slowly fading light.

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><p>I hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit because I sure am! This is my gift to you all: Hitsugaya isn't really dead! :D<p>

A shout out to my fabulous reviewers and subscribers. It really means a lot to me. You guys are the best!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

Busy, busy, busy! I'm back in school and guess what that means? No time to write! :( But do not worry, I am almost done writing this story so I will continue posting the chapters I do have. Hopefully I will find the time to edit and finish the rest!

I**_ LOVED_** writing this chapter! It was so much fun! I hope you guys love it too.

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><p>"Oh, wow!" Hinamori remarked with wonderment, "So this is what Karakura town looks like!"<p>

It was a brisk November day and five years since the death of Hitsugaya. The red and gold trees popped against the gray of the city and sky. There was a high pitched whistle that startled Hinamori. A black train chugged by, puffing thick grey smoke into the November air. Hinamori watched it with awe until the last cart disappeared into the foggy distance.

She had come to Karakura on a mission. A hollow was running rampant in the town and had already killed many innocent victims. First thing was first, she had to visit Urahara. Pulling her jacket closer to her body, she headed in the direction she had been told Urahara's shop was. This was her first time using a gigai and she soon found out that it wasn't as wonderful as she had thought; it took far too long to walk to the shop.

When she finally reached it, she looked up at the small building with her head tilted to the side and a look of puzzlement on her face. _Was this the right place? _She had expected the shop to be a little more…impressive. It was in desperate need of a new paint job and the roof was worn down. She slowly walked up to the building and cupped her hands around her eyes to peer into the dark window. There was only an odd assortment of colorful boxes and knickknacks placed neatly on shelves. No one seemed to be inside.

"Hello. Are you Momo Hinamori?" A polite voice asked from behind her. Hinamori spun around to find a girl in her teens with long black hair and big blue eyes.

"Yes, that's me," she answered wondering who in the world this girl was.

"Oh good, we've been expecting you." She extended a hand and Hinamori took it. "My name is Ururu."

"It's nice to meet you. Do you work for Urahara?"

Ururu nodded. "He's in the back with Yoruichi, follow me." The girl led Hinamori around the side of the building to the back.

"Hey Hinamori!" an excited male voice called to her belonging to a skinny man with a green and white stripped hat, and clogs. He was drinking tea on the porch's stairs with a black cat, its golden eyes peering at her with curiosity. Hinamori bowed when she stood in front of them.

"Hello Urahara and Yoruichi. Thank you for having me."

Urahara waved his fan at her. "Stop that. Sit down and Ururu will get you some tea." She obeyed and sat down next to Yoruichi, letting her feet dangle from the porch. "You've come here to kill that hollow, right? Well, I have to say he's a nasty one. He's already killed seventeen people, three of which were Soul Reapers. I'm sure you can handle it," he added upon seeing the worry on her face. "He likes to disappear for hours, sometimes days then shows up randomly and kills more people before disappearing again."

"That's no good. I was hoping to finish him off quickly and return to Soul Society as soon as possible," Hinamori said while accepting the tea Ururu handed to her.

"He's been gone for two days, he should be showing up soon," came Yoruichi's deep voice.

"So, we're going to have two visitors! Good, good," Urahara exclaimed happily, the shadow of his hat hiding the mischievous grin on his lips. "I heard our one and only Captain Hitsguaya passed away a few years ago." Hinamori attempted to hide the sadness on her face by sipping her tea. There was a sudden yelp from Urahara as Yoruichi clawed his hand.

"Don't be so insensitive Urahara!"

"That's alright. It's been a long time since his death, I'm okay now," she replied putting on a strained smile.

"That's good to…" Yoruichi began but Urahara cut across her.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"What?" A light blush passed over Hinamori's face. "No, I don't have a boyfriend." There was another yelp from Urahara when Yoruichi clawed him again, this time on the face.

"Ouch! Will you stop that! That really hurts!" Urahara shouted, clutching his bleeding cheek.

Hinamori laughed as she watched the two yell back and forth. _They were something else; they always made life seem a little less dull._ A high pitched beeping coming from her coat pocket brought her out of her thoughts and made Urahara and Yoruichi stop arguing. She pulled her cell phone out. There was a large red dot on the screen indicating high amounts of spiritual pressure.

"That must be him," she said, "he's not that far away." She stood up to leave and began to jog away.

"Bye Hinamori!"

"Good luck!"

She raised a hand in farewell. "Bye you guys and thank you!"

"It's a good thing we made Hitsugaya get groceries eh, Yoruichi?" Urahara asked with a grin when Hinamori was out of ear shot.

Yoruichi nodded, "Although I would have enjoyed seeing the look on his face when he saw her."

Hinamori's feet pounded the ground as she ran down the sidewalk, glancing down at the cell phone in her hand occasionally to check on the hollow's location. She stopped in her tracks when the signal showed that she was on top of it. Pulling out her pill dispenser, she popped one in her mouth and she emerged from her gigai. Looking around in earnest for the hollow she couldn't find it anywhere. There was a sudden deep rumbling laughter seemingly coming from nowhere.

"So they sent a puny girl this time? HA!" a low gravel voice taunted from all around her.

"It's this puny girl that will kill you," Hinamori answered dangerously, pulling out Tobiume from her sheath. "Show yourself!"

The deep laughter sounded again and to her right a shimmering form began to take shape. It was a relatively small hollow; it looked more like a spider the size of a small elephant but with six clawed legs and a strange tail long enough to drag behind it. She noticed a limp figure in one of its clawed hands. _Don't let him be dead! _

"It's too late girlie, this one is already mine!" Before Hinamori could take a step, the hollow lifted up the body and bit it clean in half. Blood poured from the body into the hollow's mouth and made dark red pools on the grass.

"No!" Hinamori cried. Rage built up inside of her as the hollow made a move to eat the other half and she flashed-stepped to the monster's leg, slicing it off. The leg thumped as it hit the ground, the bottom half of the body still clutched in the clawed hand; however the hollow didn't seem to be in pain.

"How careless of me," its voice was mocking, "I was so lost in the moment of devouring that man that I forgot about you. I congratulate you on cutting my leg off," then its voice grew menacing, "Now it's my turn."

The spider-like hollow made a move to grab her with one of its hands but Hinamori dodged, and then it swung its tail at her which she parried. The contact caused a vibration to travel through her zanpacto, to her hands and up her arms. _That's no ordinary tail._

"Good, very good," the hollow applauded.

"Don't play with me monster," Hinamori gritted between clenched teeth. The hollow laughed again.

"You don't want me to play with you? I just wanted you to feel you were doing well. I wanted you to be confident when I killed you, but if you insist I take this seriously… You're going to regret this girlie!" The hollow rushed toward her with surprising speed.

"Snap Tobuime!"

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><p>Hitsugaya watched the small rock he had just kicked bounce down the sidewalk until it skidded into the road. Wondering out loud to himself, he mumbled, "I don't see why I had to get groceries," and shifted the bag of food in his arms.<p>

He had been living at Urahara's for almost a week now, supposedly trying to "lie low" for the time being. His spiritual pressure had to be masked constantly which he found to be a pain. He was not allowed to leave his gigai and _forbidden_ to release Hyorinmaru.

There was a sudden flare up of spiritual pressure that made him stop mid-step. He instantly recognized the spiritual pressure of the hollow that had taken over Karakura town. On more than one occasion Hitsugaya had seen it but was _forbidden_, of course, to get involved. There was another spiritual pressure that seemed familiar somehow but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. If he took the long way back to Urahara's to the left he would pass the two spiritual pressures and find out who it was or he could just go straight, the way he was going originally. Curiosity got the better of him and Hitsugaya took a left.

He could hear shouting and fighting before he actually saw them. He was glad to know Soul Society had finally sent a Soul Reaper who really knew how to fight. They were fighting in a clearing of trees, and upon further investigation he noticed it was a girl. She had already done a fair number to the hollow with few wounds herself; she had cut off three of the hollow's six legs but it still managed to stand and fight.

He was fully intending to walk away but something about the girl pulled him towards her. Her fighting was excellent and the way she twisted and turned looked like a dance. It vaguely reminded him of Rukia but with more grace. He noticed a vice captain badge around her arm but couldn't make out what number it was. Leaning the bag of groceries against a nearby tree, he crept closer to get a better look. He could now see her clearly but she was moving too fast to make out her face. Her long black ponytail whipped around her face and when she paused to wipe sweat from her forehead, he recognized her. Hitsugaya's jaw hit the floor and he accidently let his spiritual pressure slip. _Hinamori? _Her head snapped in his direction but he quickly ducked behind a tree. _Why did they have to send her?_ Not that he was upset to see her, he was beyond thrilled but he couldn't even talk to her. It was _forbidden_. Slowly he poked his head from around the tree.

"What's wrong girlie?" the hollow asked in a deep voice, "Are you tired?" Hinamori answered by sinking her blade into its side. The hollow merely laughed as if the deep wound was nothing more than a paper cut. Thick, dark blood ran down Hinamori's arms and as she pulled out her zanpacto blood splattered her face.

Entranced, Hitsugaya leaned against the tree trunk but not before pulling his hood over his most obvious feature. She shouted out to Tobiume and a red ball of flame emanated from the blade.

_Now I know why you've have feelings for her, even after all this time. _Hyorinmaru's voice sounded in his head. Hitsugaya didn't answer.

Lost in Hinamori's dance among her red flames, he failed to notice her slipping; something other than the hollow preoccupied her mind. She hadn't changed much from what Hitsguaya remembered other than her hair was longer and was now tied in a ponytail. He was secretly glad that she didn't seem to be taller either because in five years he hadn't grown at all. How he longed to talk to her, to see how she was doing. He found himself reflecting back on their first "date", according to Matsumoto, and that rainy night she had kissed him...

His thoughts were interrupted when Hinamori suddenly froze directly facing the hollow. Its tail was pointed straight at her and he could just make out a thin line of sliver coming from the tail and into her forehead. Her face quickly turned the color of paper and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"Hinamori!" he called without thinking. He pulled Chappy the Bunny from his pocket and swallowed a pill, emerging from his gigai.

"What are you doing? I thought you weren't allowed to be out of your gigai!" The soul occupying it protested.

"Shut up and stay here," ordered Hitsugaya while pulling out Hyorinmaru.

He disappeared and reappeared next to the hollow's tail and in one swing of his zanpacto, chopped it off. A thick green substance oozed out of it that stung when it dripped onto his hand.

"So you're the source of that high spiritual pressure we felt earlier," the hollow taunted.

"Shut up," Hitsugaya growled, "You're going to pay for what you did to Hinamori."

Before the monster could utter another word, ice formed around its remaining legs and Hitsugaya jumped on its back, trailing his zanpacto deep into its hide before reaching its head and hacking it off in one blow. Getting the hollow's blood in his mouth, he spat on the ground and wiped his face with his sleeve.

Horror clouded his mind when he spotted Hinamori on the ground convulsing violently, the stinger, or whatever it was, still protruded from her forehead. He ran over to her and tried to get the stinger out but she was moving too much. He sat on top of her and pinned her arms to her sides with his knees while one hand held her trashing head and the other carefully pulled the stinger out. It wasn't as deep as he thought it was which he was thankful for. Her body was immediately still and her eyes closed tightly. Blood trickled from the tiny hole in her forehead and he wiped it away with a finger.

"What happened to her?" the soul in his gigai asked in anticipation.

"Get Urahara! Hurry!" Hitsguaya shouted.

He checked Hinamori's vitals and was relieved when they seemed to be alright. Realizing how awkward it must look for a boy to be sitting on top of a girl he quickly scrambled off her, trying not to notice how hot his whole body felt. He scooted closer to her and peered into her face cautiously. She seemed to be in a deep sleep so he relaxed a bit. Five years. Five years had passed since he had left Soul Society; five years since he had seen Hinamori, the longest he had ever been away from her. She still looked like the same pretty, dark- haired girl he remembered except her spiritual pressure felt different, stronger.

There was the sound of running feet as Hitsugaya's gigai, Urahara, Tessai, and Jinta rushed over to the two of them. Jinta let out a low whistle.

"That's a lot of blood. GAH! Is that a body?"

Hitsugaya glanced around, failing to notice how messy things had gotten. The hollow had disappeared after he had killed it, but what was left behind was a substantial amount of blood and half a body. He cringed, he had seen many nasty and fatal wounds but none as grotesque as seeing half of an eaten body.

"So, ya found Hinamori eh, Toshiro?" Urahara asked, hiding most of his face with his fan.

Hitsugaya simply stood up and brushed himself off, but stayed close to Hinamori. "Yeah, I found her."

"Alright, she doesn't look too bad but we can never be too sure," continued Urahara, "Tessia, will you carry Hinamori back home?"

Hitsugaya opened his mouth in protest as Tessai scooped Hinamori up with one arm and slung her over his shoulder like a rag doll, "Hina…" but he was already sprinting away at an alarming pace.

"Come on, don't just stand there." He looked around to find Urahara waiting for him eagerly; Tessai already half way down the next block. "Jinta! Stop poking that body with a stick!"

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><p>My first attempt at writing a fighting scene! I got a little graphic in some parts. Eheheh.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

BAM! Chapter 6 is here! What are you waiting for? Read it, read it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Inside Urahara's shop, a boy with white hair drummed his fingers against the back of a chair, waiting in anticipation outside a closed door. At first he had sat "calmly" in the chair, but found it did little to ease his worry. So instead he paced back and forth but the shop was far too small for it to do any good and he kept running into things. The best option for him now was to stand quietly while his fingers did all the fidgeting.

Turquoise eyes stared down the door and would have burned a hole right through it if they could. After what seemed like days the door finally surrendered; slowly opening to let out a tall woman with purple hair and stunning golden eyes. His fingers ceased drumming and his shoulders relaxed.

"Hitsugaya," Yoruichi said with a knowing smile, "Have you been waiting out here the whole time?" The door shut behind her which caused Hitsugaya's shoulders to immediately tense again.

"How is she?" he asked, trying not to sound too anxious.

"She's alright," replied Yoruichi, her smile widening, "It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. It was a kind of poison that attacks the nervous system, but not enough was inside her to do much damage. Urahara is doing some last minute things but when he's done you can go in there; she's in a very deep sleep and shouldn't be waking up any time soon."

Without saying a word, he nodded once and sank into the chair, eyes continuing their stare down with the door. A steaming cup suddenly appeared in front of his face.

"Drink," Yoruichi ordered.

He immediately obliged, taking the cup from her and sipping it. Liking how the hot liquid felt going down his tight throat, he drained it completely. He felt a dip in the chair beside him and turned to find Yoruichi with her own cup of tea.

"You're going to get into trouble because of this, you know," she said quietly.

"I know, but I really don't care," he responded a bit harshly.

"This girl means that much to you that you would throw away your status in Soul Society for her?"

"You…" He was going to say 'You wouldn't understand' but he reminded himself of whom he was speaking to. This was Yoruichi, who had thrown everything she had in Soul Society away. Turing his head toward the door again, he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "Being a Soul Reaper means _nothing_ to me compared to Hinamori."

"I see." He could hear the smile in Yoruichi's voice. "You're an interesting kid." Snapping his head around to her, he looked at her hard. "Is that why you became a Soul Reaper in the first place, for her?"

Hitsugaya didn't respond for a while, his thoughts lost in the memories of Hinamori. If he didn't become a captain or even a simple Soul Reaper, he wouldn't have a way to protect her from harm. Finally he answered, "Yes."

"Hinamori is a lucky girl to have someone like you," said Yoruichi while standing up and taking the empty cup from his hands.

His white brows furrowed. _What did that mean?_ All he wanted to do, all he _ever _wanted to do was protect Hinamori. It was a strange, burning desire to keep her out of harm's way but no matter how hard he tried, he always failed. That desire changed dramatically when he was tricked into stabbing her and nearly killed her. She was inches away from death's clammy hands, and he had never been so scared in his life. That's when he realized he no longer wanted to protect her, he _needed_ to protect her. He _needed_ to protect her because he couldn't _live _without her. Hinamori was his everything.

There was a click from the door and Hitsugaya would have never noticed it opening if Urahara hadn't yelled, "SHE IS A-OKAY!"

"That's good to hear," Yoruichi said, coming back into the room.

"Yeah! She is _not_ going to die today! Although she might tomorrow, we never know," responded Urahara, looking directly at Hitsugaya who simply rolled his eyes, knowing Urahara only said that to get to him.

"Can I see her now?" Hitsugaya asked, slowly getting up from his spot in the chair.

"Sure. I gave her a little something to help her sleep. She kept waking up and asking where she was before falling asleep again." Hitsugaya was skeptical about Urahara's 'little something' but shrugged it off. _He knew what he was doing, right?_

Once inside the room, Hitsugaya immediately went to Hinamori's side. She was sleeping peacefully, her chest slowly rising and falling with ease. He smoothed her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Why is it that you're always in situations like this?" He teased as if she could hear him.

Somewhere deep in her sleep, Hinamori's dream changed. Her whole body started trembling slightly and tears began leaking from her closed eyes. Reaching out a hand, Hitsugaya gently whipped her tears away before a feeling of hopelessness washed over him. There was nothing he could do except to stroke her silky cheek and wonder if maybe, just maybe, she knew he was there with her. "You don't have to cry Hinamori," he whispered, "I'm right here."

A single word slipped through her lips. It was as quiet as the flutter of wings but it rang like a thousand bells in Hitsugaya's head.

"Toshiro."

Tears poured rapidly from Hinamori eyes, catching on Hitsugaya's frozen hand on her cheek. He hated seeing her cry but it was a hundred times worse when _he_ was the cause of her tears. He sat next to her on the bed she was resting in, a hand clutching the front of his shirt. Emotions washed over him: sorrow for making her cry, anger at himself for leaving her, joy that she still remembered him, and an unfamiliar feeling deep within him that made his chest burn.

Realizing the door was still wide open; he quickly strode over and shut it, glancing around to make sure no one was there before doing so. Returning to Hinamori's side, Hitsugaya placed his hands on either side of her head and bent down low until his nose grazed her ear, whispering breathlessly:

"I will come back to you Hinamori. I promise."

He was determined to pull through his mission, and to see the smile that was just for him, to see her face when she laughed and then maybe he would laugh with her. He strode out of the room, turning to her with a small smile before shutting the door.

Later that evening, Hitsugaya found himself speaking with Yamamoto via video monitor. Urahara happened to have one in a damp and secluded area of the shop that hadn't been used in several decades. Hitsugaya decided to give it a shot anyway to get a hold of the captain commander and explain what had happened. In his defense, he stated that if they had not sent Hinamori, none of this would have happened. Yamamoto didn't agree and had been lecturing him for a good fifteen minutes.

"…You need to learn to control your emotions, Captain Hitsugaya. That is the most basic rule of being a Soul Reaper: to put aside your feelings and _get the job done," _Yamamoto was saying.

"I wasn't going to let her die…" he protested but Yamamoto cut in.

"You are not a captain anymore, you cannot go about doing as you see fit."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes slightly. "Whatever." He had the distinct feeling that they only released him as captain to say things like that. Yamamoto still referred to him as 'Captain Hitsguaya' and he was promised his position once the mission was completed.

"You are powerful and young; maybe too young. Perhaps it wasn't the best decision to make you captain to begin with," said Yamamoto. Hitsugaya could barely pick out the hint of disappointment amongst his angry tone.

_What?_ First, he was practically accused of being emotionally unstable, and now he wasn't fit to be a captain? It was as if by sending Hinamori he was being tested to see just how far he would go for her, what was more important to him, and he had failed miserably. He didn't care though. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Hinamori. He stood there in front of Yamamoto with his arms across his chest and glared straight into his eyes.

Yamamoto spoke, "Just remember your purpose in this mission." With that said, the monitor went dark.

The next afternoon Hinamori woke which meant Hitsugaya had to be extremely cautious and confine himself in the spare bedroom he was occupying. He despised not having anything to do. There was no paperwork to fill out, no hollows he could kill, nothing. Earlier, he had found a lost book in one of the desk drawers that had the cover torn off. Curious, he had flipped through the pages and came across one particular sentence that read: "The two lovers shared a passionate kiss filled with desire and a deep longing to be together." He had slammed the book shut and threw it back in the drawer as if it had suddenly burst into flames.

So instead of reading a romance novel, he laid back on the bed with his arms under his head. Hinamori's tinkling laughter wafted through the thin walls, and Hitsugaya pretended he couldn't hear it. There was a quick rap on the door before it opened, and he sat up.

A bright red-haired Jinta strutted inside the room carrying a tray laden with food. "I brought you dinner," he said and lazily placed it on the desk.

"Oh…thanks." There was an awkward silence.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Jinta inquired, shivering slightly.

"I opened a window," Hitsugaya said while nodding his head towards it.

"You're crazy! Are you trying to freeze to death or somethin'?"

Hitsguaya furrowed his white eyebrows. "No, I like it cold."

Jinta rolled his eyes dramatically. "Some of you Soul Reapers are weird." Laughter suddenly filled the room through the open door, and Jinta gave a sigh of annoyance. "Girls…They laugh all the time. That girl that's visiting has been talking about her boyfriend for hours."

_Her boyfriend? Hinamori couldn't have a boyfriend, could she?_ Hitsugaya pretended he didn't care by keeping his face blank.

"It's a shame," he continued, "she's really cute. Oh well. Enjoy your food." With that said, he walked out of the room leaving Hitsguaya with his thoughts.

Suddenly the food he had been eager to eat didn't seem so appetizing anymore. He slumped down in his bed with a groan. Hinamori getting a boyfriend had never occurred to him, and he didn't think it would make him feel this way. He stared up at the texturized swirls on the ceiling, a cold breeze drifted in through the open window. If Hinamori was in a relationship, he wondered who it would be with. Kira seemed to be the most likely candidate, they had known each other for a long time and they were good friends. Hitsugaya let out a subconscious sigh. It was time to face the facts; Hyorinmaru was right, he was falling for Hinamori and falling fast. And now as he looked back, he had been falling for her a long time ago.

Grabbing a thin jacket, he pulled it on and tucked his hair under the hood, and tip-toed out of the room. If he carefully made his way to the kitchen and slip past the front room where Hinamori was with Yoruichi and Urahara, he could go outside through the back door. Stealthily, he walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. He poked his head around the corner. There was an archway for easy access between the kitchen and the front room, and he could see Hinamori sitting in the same spot he been in the other day when Urahara had been healing her. She was back in her gigai and wearing a sunny yellow sweatshirt with a smile just as cheerful. Hitsugaya quickly made his way past and out through the door, closing it as quietly as possible.

The frigid night air felt good on his face after being stuck inside all day. He took a deep breath; the cold air rejuvenating him as it trickled down his throat. Deciding it would be nice to just sit on the roof, he did so and leaned against the brick chimney. The full moon was beginning its rise above the horizon and he watched dark clouds slowly drift over to conceal its light. Sleep began to take over him, and the next thing he knew he woke up to the sound of his name.

"Hitsugaya."

It was a quiet female voice that Hitsugaya recognized immediately. He poked his head around the chimney and found none other than Hinamori a few feet from where he was sitting. Her knees were tucked under her chin and a blanket was wrapped around her body. Her voice was gentle but full of sadness as she continued talking to no one…to _him_.

"I don't know if you're there, and if anyone heard me talking to myself like you were here, they would think I was crazy… but I decided I don't care." Hinamori continued on, "Some interesting things have happened in the last few days. I felt your spiritual pressure when I was fighting a hollow and then I thought I saw white hair. When I was sleeping, I thought I heard your voice. It said something like, 'Don't cry' and um… 'I'll come back for you.' Maybe I _am_ going crazy." She suddenly sneezed. "And now I'm catching a cold. I can hear your voice now," attempting to mimic his voice she said, "'Stupid Bed- Wetter Momo, you should go inside. Unohana won't be very happy when you come back sick.'" Hitsugaya had, in fact, been thinking the same thing. Hinamori let out a long drawn out sigh. "I guess you're right. Oh look, it's snowing!"

He peered from behind the chimney to see her stretch out a hand and catch a snowflake in her tiny palm.

"I wish you were here Hitsugaya," she said, her voice saddening dramatically. "There are so many things I wish I had told you. I didn't realize how much you were there until you were gone and I am so sorry. I try to stay strong but sometimes it gets so hard, especially when I have to go to the Tenth Division to drop off paperwork. They still haven't found a new captain and I don't want them to." Her voice cracked, "I don't want them to replace you." She buried her face in her hands and her body shook in silent tears.

Unbeknownst to her, Hitsugaya looked on from behind the chimney, hating himself even more by the second. It would have been so easy to go to Hinamori and tell her that he wasn't dead. However, his rational side held him back. Even if he did tell her they still wouldn't be together. He still had his mission to complete and she would have to wait in Soul Society wondering the whole time if he was dead. It was better for her this way.

There was a sniff from Hinamori and she lifted her head to wipe away her tears with a trembling hand. Snowflakes glistened in her raven hair giving the impression of a clear, starry night. She got to her feet, wrapping the blanket more securely around herself. A deep sigh escaped her lips.

"I miss you Hitsugaya. If I could have just one wish…" She sniffed. "It would be to see you again."

When those last words were spoken, Hinamori turned around and left the roof. Hitsguaya carefully walked to where she had been moments before. Karakura town lay quiet as a thin blanket of sparkling snow rested upon it. Looking up at the dark grey sky, he thought to himself that if he could have one wish, it would be to make her smile again.

Hitsugaya watched Hinamori leave for Soul Society the next morning just before daybreak. And for ten more years the sun refused to show her sunny face or to bathe him in her warmth.

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><p>The ending of this chapter is SO cheesy, I know. But deep down everyone loves cheesiness. ;D<br>The things I like most about little Hitsugaya are his incredible determination and his desire to protect Hinamori (not to mention he kicks butt!), and so I tried to incorporate those things in this chapter and the previous chapter. I hope you guys liked it!


	7. Chapter 7

I have a confession to make that I failed to mention in chapter 6. I have been avoiding Hitsugaya's mission because I have no idea what it is! I couldn't come up with anything good enough! Please forgive me for the lack of a plot! I didn't think this story through very well. Just know that the mission was difficult and dangerous. Please continue reading if you want.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

"Kira, come on!" Hinamori said with annoyance. "You're not even trying." She let her grip on Tubiume lessen and the blade tip sank into the ground. She and Kira had been training together all afternoon but Kira refused to even release his zanpacto. He was breathing heavily from trying to dodge her attacks; Hinamori, on the other hand, hadn't broken a sweat.

"I won't use my sword against you Hinamori," Kira said for the umpteenth time. She gave him a look and shook her head. "Maybe you can train with Renji?"

"No way! Renji takes things way to seriously. I swear he's trying to kill me when we train." Kira chuckled lightly. "I'll ask Matsumoto later but right now let's take a break, you look tired." She sheathed her zanpacto, casually walking over to him. As she got closer she could see all of the cuts she had made. Grimacing, she pointed up to his eyes and said, "I singed your eyebrows."

"Really?" Kira absentmindedly touched his eyebrows. "Some of your fire balls got way to close," he said while smiling down at her.

"Hey Hinamori!" Someone shouted and they turned around to find Renji jogging up to them.

"Renji, we were just talking about you," said Hinamori.

"What were you guys talking about me for?" He asked with a small, dangerous glint in his eyes. Then he shook his head. "No wait. Hinamori, your captain wanted me to tell you that you are going on a mission with him right away."

"Is that now?" she asked frantically. "Tell him I'll be there, I just have to do something really fast." She flashed-stepped as fast as she could away from them, heading out of the Seireitei and leaving Kira and Renji with confused expressions.

Hinamori arrived at the small pond with blue-green water. It had been a while since she last went there but everything still looked the same. The pale pink cheery blossoms were just beginning to bloom in the warm March afternoon, beckoning the honeybees with their sweet fragrance. Hinamori very carefully tiptoed along the rocks jutting out of the water. Once she reached the last rock, she took a weathered and torn folded piece of paper from the front of her robe. Her sad, brown eyes skimmed through the words on the note. Something in them changed then and they flickered up to the sky.

"I don't have much time…" Hinamori whispered. "I'm…I'm letting you go Hitsugaya. It's been fifteen years since your death…and I think it's time to move on. I've been desperately clinging on to your memory but it has gotten too painful." She lifted the note in her hand. "Goodbye Little Shiro."

A single tear trickled down her cheek as she let go of the piece of paper. Just before it fell into the turquoise water, a strong gust of wind caught it and carried it away into the bright blue sky. Hinamori watched it for a moment as it fluttered along with the wind; then she turned around and like a phantom disappeared.

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><p>Long blond hair trailed behind Matsumoto as she sat near a window in her room, idly sipping on a bottle of sake. Her eyes were staring but unseeing out into the slowly fading light. A Hell Butterfly fluttered in through the window and she lazily stuck out a finger for it to perch on.<p>

"To all captains and vice captains," the voice said, "The Tenth Division Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya is back from his mission…" Matsumoto spewed the mouthful of sake she just taken and jumped up from her chair.

"Captain!" She flicked the butterfly off her finger and started running down the Tenth Division. In the distance in front of her she could see two figures with white hair, one tall and one short, casually walking to the office. She approached them with alarming speed and skidded to a halt just behind them. "Captain," she said almost wearily. The short, white haired figure nonchalantly turned his head around.

"What?" he asked as if he hadn't been gone for decades.

Matsumoto planted angry fists on her hips. "You've been gone for fifteen years and that's all you say to your favorite vice captain?"

He looked up at her with his cool eyes. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Anything else but that!" She took a step towards him. "Come 'ere and give me a hug Captain!" He took half a step back but she got a hold of his shoulders and gathered him in her massive bear hug. His forehead collided with her chin which made her release him sooner than she wanted. Matsumoto peered at him with scrutinizing eyes while rubbing her shore chin. "You've grown, except I thought you would be a little taller than this." Hitsugaya's eyebrows knitted together in a scowl and Ukitake let out a loud chuckle. "And your hair has gotten long. I kind of like it that way."

"I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do," said Ukitake as he turned to leave, "it's good to see you again Toshiro. And I'm sure everyone is glad your back."

Hitsugaya nodded once. "Bye Ukitake."

"Come on! There are so many things I have to tell you!" Matsumoto said enthusiastically. "You don't have to worry paperwork because I have it all done!" Secretly, she had paid some others to do it for her but she wasn't about to tell him that.

Matsumoto chatted away about everything Hitsguaya had missed in Soul Society as they walked to the office. She told him about promotions, demotions, and how she thought Yamamoto was going to the Looney-bend. "Hinamori went on a mission with her captain. They left a couple of hours ago." She had purposefully saved that bit of information last. Hitsugaya didn't respond nor appeared interested, but Matsumoto knew that he secretly wanted to know.

When they reached the office, Hitsugaya stood in the middle of the room for a minute looking this way and that. After a moment's hesitation, he walked to his desk and sank into the chair. Matsumoto beamed as she watched him. _It's just like before,_ she thought excitedly.

"I'm so glad you're back, Captain!"

He shook his head slightly in disbelief. "You're the same as always, Matsumoto."

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><p>It was very dark in the courtyard when Hinamori walked through the gate back into Soul Society. The new moon gave off no light and heavy clouds blocked the stars. Eerie shadows danced in the corners of her eyes but she was too tired to be frightened. She carefully began trekking to her room where her soft bed laid waiting for her. The mission had been difficult and as a result left her body sore and disheveled. Her eyes slowly started to droop until her shoe caught in a crack on the wood walkway. She stumbled before bumping into a silent figure walking in the opposite direction.<p>

"Sorry," Hinamori said quickly. She spotted a white haori and snapped into attention. "Oh! I apol…" Her words stopped dead when she saw who it was. He looked like an older Hitsugaya; a taller, long-haired, more handsome version of Hitsugaya. She must be really tired if she was seeing apparitions of her deceased friend. She rubbed her eyes with trembling fists but when she lowered them, he was still there. "Who are you?" she asked, her words dripping with danger.

"I'm Captain Hitsugaya," he said. Hinamori was slightly taken aback by his low voice; she hadn't been expecting that. He did look like him with his white hair and his turquoise eyes…

"Hitsugaya is dead," she said glaring, and in a flash pulled out her zanpacto, pointing it straight at the imposter's throat. "Who are you really?"

The man only folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "I'm not dead, Bed-Wetter Momo." Hinamori's old nickname slithered off his tongue as if he had been using it for years.

Her zanpacto slipped along with her composure. There was only one person, other than herself, who knew that name. _What kind of game was this? _Hinamori's mind drifted between the decision to kill the intruder on the spot or to burst into tears. She decided on neither. She took a couple of steps back before spinning around, and ran away from the ghost of Hitsugaya.

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><p>Hitsugaya stormed down the hallway to his office carrying two empty bottles of sake he had found in a closet. All day he had found empty sake bottles in every nook and cranny of the Tenth Division. He found one in his desk drawer, under the couch and even in his room. Matsumoto had better be ready for a very long lecture.<p>

"Oi Matsumoto!" He shouted as he neared the open office door. "Why are there…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he stepped into the room.

Hinamori was there, sitting on the couch with Matsumoto. Her face turned as white as his hair and her eyes grew so wide they almost swallowed her whole face. He tried to keep his face neutral but he knew his eyes were just as wide and instead of turning pale, he could feel his face redden.

She was so beautiful! Her hair was kept down and he realized he really liked it that way. And then there was her… He shook himself and tried to tear his gaze away from her but couldn't. His eyes danced between Hinamori and Matsumoto, who was wearing a grin from ear to ear. Hinamori. Matsumoto. Hinamori. Door. Hinamori. Empty sake bottle. Matsumoto. Image of hitting Matsumoto over the head with sake bottle. Hinamori.

"Are we going to have a party, Captain?"

"Huh?" He asked stupidly and looked back at Matsumoto who was still wearing that mischievous grin. "No…" He glanced down at the bottles in his hands. "I found these in the closet."

"Oh silly me, I'll take those!" Matsumoto strode over to him and took the bottles from his hands. "You need to talk to her," she said under her breath.

"I can't…"

"She needs to hear what happened from you." She walked back to the couch, placing the bottles on the coffee table on the way.

Hitsugaya's gaze found Hinamori again. She didn't look surprised anymore but very confused and angry. He didn't think he would have to talk to her so soon. Last night had been a complete accident. After attempting to fall asleep and failing, he had gone on a walk when someone ran into him. He had no idea it was Hinamori until her zanpacto was pointing straight at him.

His legs felt like lead as he took a few steps closer. "Hinamori…" he began. It had been such a long time since he used her name. After a moment's hesitation, he continued on. "I had to fake my own death for a mission." He plunged into his story for what seemed like hours while Hinamori's face slowly turned blanker until he couldn't read it at all. When he was done he let out a huge sigh of relief, thankful that it was over.

Hinamori was staring down at her hands in her lap and Hitsguaya waited for her to say something. She suddenly jumped up. Those brown eyes of hers that were always warm instead looked back at him full of anger and hatred.

She strode over to him and for a split second he thought she was going to slap him, but instead she brushed past him but not before saying: "You're just like Aizen."

This time his face paled and he stood there frozen, unable to move or breathe. It felt as if someone had just stabbed him in the gut with a blunt blade. _"You're just like Aizen"_ ran through his head a hundred times over. He didn't blame her for being angry with him; he deserved every bit of it. Now as he looked at the whole situation, it did appear to be the exact thing that Aizen had done. Faking his death and then seemingly coming back to life with arms wide open, waiting for her to come back to him.

"Captain, I said are you alright?" He blinked, coming back to life and nodded slowly. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing," he managed to say but his voice sounded unfamiliar to his own ears. This was between him and Hinamori, he didn't want Matsumoto involved. He walked stiffly to his desk and plopped down in his chair, subconsciously pulling a stack of paperwork towards him. His eyes skimmed through the words but _"You're just like Aizen"_ was on repeat in his head. He stopped and rubbed his temples.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Matsumoto asked again. "Maybe you should see Captain Unohana."

"She can't do anything," Hitsugaya answered. _"You're just like Aizen."_

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><p>Bahahaha! I kept Hitsugaya short! I've always wanted to know what Himanori's hair would look like down, so I made her keep her hair down in the story. :)<br>P.s. I love Hinamori, she is such an awesome character! :D Kick his butt Girl!


	8. Chapter 8

****Special thanks to my reviewers! Without you, I probably would have stopped writing. This one is for you guys! :D

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Inhaling deeply, Hinamori stood in front of the Tenth Division office. A couple of weeks had passed since Hitsugaya came back and they had neither seen nor talked to one another since she had stormed away from him. She felt terrible after what she said to him and she was afraid he was mad at her for it. Now she was in front of his office door very late at night to drop off one last thing that her captain had forgotten. There was a strong possibility that no one would be inside, then she could slip in and slip out without any trouble.

Hinamori took a hold of the door handle and slowly pulled the door open. Poking her head inside first, she glanced around for anyone in the room. She was in luck, the room was empty. She rushed over to Hitsugaya's desk and was just about to place the file on it when she stifled a gasp. Hidden behind stacks of paperwork was a pool of white hair belonging to a sleeping figure. Hitsugaya was snoring softly, pen still in hand. Hinamori gently put the file on his desk and took a step back to leave when he stirred in his sleep, his pen rolling from his fingers and falling to the floor with a surprising sound. His eyes flickered open and he pealed his face from the paper it was resting on. Letting out a huge yawn, he glanced up and his eyes did a double take on Hinamori.

"Hinamori," he said while slowly rising.

"Um, I…I had to drop something off," she stammered, unable to meet his eyes. "I'll go now." She turned to leave but Hitsugaya suddenly appeared before her.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" His expression showed no signs of anger but she could feel herself shrinking under his steady gaze.

"I can't give you a good enough answer," she said, shuffling on her feet nervously.

"Try me."

Hinamori took a steady breath before fumbling over her words. "You…you were dead for fifteen years and then…and then you show up here as if nothing had happened. I was so confused at first, and then I was angry at you for leaving." She finally met Hitsugaya's gaze. There was pain in those blue-green eyes that she had dreamt of so many times. "I thought you would always be there…and just like that you were gone." The tears were pouring freely down her cheeks now and her chin trembled. "It hurt so bad knowing that I would never see you again," her voice cracked and she felt Hitsguaya come closer. "Why did you leave me?" Then she buried her face in her hands and sank to the floor. Hitsugaya caught her and she flung her arms around his neck, sobbing on his shoulder.

"I never meant to hurt you, Hinamori," he whispered against her hair. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her against him. After a long moment and when Hinamori's sobs had quieted, he whispered, "I was always there with you."

They were so close that Hinamori could feel Hitsugaya's heart beat against her own chest. Just feeling his presence so near filled the empty spaces inside of her that she didn't know were missing. Fresh tears clouded her eyes but she managed to keep them under control. She held tighter to him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder. "This isn't a dream, is it?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"No, this isn't a dream. I'm really here," he said while keeping a firm grip on her.

Hinamori remembered something then and gently pulled away from him, her arms still around his neck. They were on the wooden floor near his desk, and she was sitting a little awkwardly on his lap. His eyes reflected back to her what she was feeling at that moment: happiness that they were finally together again and sadness for ever leaving. "I'm sorry that I said you were just like…_him_. All I cared about was hurting you. I shouldn't have…" One of Hitsugaya's hands rose to cover her mouth.

"It's not a big deal. I'm not mad at you," he said, as if it was so obvious that she should have known.

"I'm still sorry I said it," she mumbled against his hand. The tiniest flicker of a smile escaped his lips and he moved his hand to wipe her tear stained face. Then he stifled a huge yawn.

"I should go," Hinamori said, making a move to get up but Hitsugaya caught her wrist.

"Stay."

"But you're exhausted!"

"Stay," he repeated almost pleading. Hinamori smiled sweetly and surrendered, taking a spot beside him this time. "I'll walk you to your room later," he added.

"Alright." The echoing silence thereafter pounded against Hinamori's ears as she raked her brain for something to say. Hitsugaya's eyes were quickly drooping as he leaned back against the desk. "A part of me died with you that day," she blurted out, surprising her own self. Hitsugaya's eyes sprang open and looked at her in bewilderment. _Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. _"Um…Tobiume helped get me back on my feet," she added with a smile. His face relaxed a bit.

"I'm sorry," he said. Hinamori placed a tender hand on his cheek.

"Stop blaming yourself for everything. It was a mission, you had to do it." Turquoise eyes searched her face and Hitsugaya slowly nodded. Her hand slid from his cheek and she wrapped her arms around his torso, nestling against him. "I missed you, Hitsugaya," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Without a word, his hand rested on the top of her head. And just before Hinamori succumbed to sleep, she heard him say: "I missed you too." Then he quickly followed after her into dreamland.

* * *

><p>It had rained the night before leaving the training area wet and muddy. Rain still dripped from the roofs and the ominous April clouds threatened even more. Everyone was seeking shelter inside from the upcoming downpour except a certain dark haired young woman. She was practicing in the training area; thick black mud covered her robe and speckled her cheeks. Hinamori swung at the target dummy in front of her with her zanpacto but only left a shallow cut. Frustrated that she was doing so poorly, she lifted Tobiume high in the air and brought it down hard only to have it blocked by another zanpacto. She instantly recognized the hilt of Hyorinmaru.<p>

"Hitsugaya," Hinamori gasped in surprise and jumped backwards.

"Why are you practicing alone?" He asked, dropping his zanpacto to his side.

"I had some free time but everyone else was busy so I'm training by myself."

"You're only practicing swordsmanship then?" Hitsugaya asked, standing next to the dummy and examining one of the marks she had made. "I can help you with that."

"Really?" she asked, "You don't have anything you should be doing?"

He shrugged and said coolly, "I always have things I should be doing." His eyes glinted as he went to stand in front of her. "Swing at me."

Hinamori opened her mouth to protest, his zanpacto was still limp at his side, but she swung Tobiume anyway. His arm lazily went up to block it and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You can do better than that Bed-Wetter."

Hinamori scowled. It had been so long since she heard that nickname and now Hitsugaya was using it all of the time. It irritated her more than she thought it would. She was a grown woman and definitely did not wet the bed. She swung harder at him and he blocked it a little less sluggishly. They continued fighting for several minutes until Hitsugaya stopped her. Sweat dripped down her face and her breathing was hard. Hitsugaya had only gotten a little muddier.

"You're not very strong," he said bluntly and Hinamori gave him a dumbfounded look. "Other than that you are pretty good. You're an expert at kido, so play up your strengths."

"Is that the advice you give to all of your division members?" she teased.

"No. I would say it to Matsumoto if she had any strengths." Hinamori giggled but the look on his face almost convinced her that maybe Matsumoto really didn't have any strengths. "Come at me again," he said.

She came at him again and taking his advice, summoned a kido spell that rushed past his head and exploded behind him. He took his eyes off of her to glance behind and she seized the opportunity to grip tightly to Hyorinmaru's hilt and point Tobiume's blade at his throat. "I missed you on purpose," she breathed near his face. Hitsugaya almost smiled then and she realized he had planned the whole thing out.

The next thing she knew, Tobiume was out of her grasp and Hitsugaya had her back pinned against him. Both zanpactos were in his hands but neither was pointing at her. "In a real fight," he said in her ear that sent a shiver up her spine, "never hesitate." He released her, handing back Tobiume. Hinamori let out a sigh of discouragement.

"This is why I only train with vice captains." A raindrop hit her cheek and she looked up at the dark sky. "It's finally starting to rain," she said mostly to herself.

"Do you mind if I release Hyorinmaru? I've gotten a little rusty," Hitsugaya said.

Hinamori highly doubted that but she said, "I don't mind," and stood back as he shouted out to his zanpacto. There was a massive flare up of his spiritual pressure as ice formed into wings and a tail on his back. His spiritual pressure was immensely cold and powerful but somehow it had a soothing effect on Hinamori. She closed her eyes as it rolled over her. It was as if remembering something dear to her that she had long since forgotten.

Hitsguaya stood there silently a moment. _He's probably talking to Hyorinmaru,_ she thought. Then she found herself walking over to him, admiring his ice wings. It was as if seeing them through new eyes. There was a light tinkling sound as rain hit the blue ice and it flared like a cold flame even under a cloudy sky. She gingerly trailed her fingers along a frozen wing. "It's so beautiful," she whispered awestruck.

From the corner of her eye she could see Hitsugaya watching her and finally looked up at him. The look in his eyes brought back floods of memories. That day fifteen years ago when they found the pond together; when they sat on the roof to watch the sunset; and when she had kissed him on the cheek. She took an instinctive step closer. As she looked up at him, she realized that Hitsugaya was no longer that white haired boy but a man, a very attractive man at that. And the more she looked at him, the more she realized that this was exactly where she wanted to be: close to Hitsugaya, to always be with him. Just as she did on a similar rainy day so many years ago, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. But this time, he didn't leave.

Later that evening when Hinamori had taken a bath and changed into clean robes, she sat with a book in her hand and a cup of tea on the table. She had read the same sentence ten times, her mind kept drifting back to earlier that day.

The rain had sent her into a bad mood that morning, so she didn't except the day to turn out so wonderful. After she and Hitsugaya were done training, he walked her back to her division all the while holding her hand. She had gone back to work in a daze that she was sure her captain noticed, and although she didn't see Hitsugaya for the rest of the day, that didn't stop her from thinking about him.

Hinamori placed the book on the table with a brilliant smile. It was time she faced the truth; she was in love and not with just anyone. She was in love with Toshiro Hitsugaya, her best friend that she had grown up with. She never dreamed that she would fall for that tough, white haired kid in Rugakgai or for the youngest captain in the Gotei 13. After being fooled by Aizen's façade for so long, she had completely pushed Hitsugaya away and it took his "death" to realize just how much he meant to her. She was given a second chance to make things right and in the process, fell in love with her Little Shiro.

* * *

><p>Sorry it's been taking me so long to post chapters, I've just been crazy busy. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible. Thanks for reading! :D<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the long wait. Writer's block and finals don't go well together. I had a dream last week where I accidentally added this chapter when it wasn't done and everyone hated it. I took that as a sign to stop studying and finish writing it.

Get ready for fluff ladies and gentlemen, and enjoy the last chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Hitsugaya stared out the window of his office with a curious look on his face. It was a beautiful May afternoon. Birds were chipping cheerfully in their nests, not a cloud was in the deep blue sky and the sun refused to hide. But Hitsugaya's thoughts were not of the weather they were of a person, a girl rather, Hinamori. He was trying to decide if he was finally going to confess his feelings for her. He was done waiting, and the events of yesterday almost convinced him that she shared the same feelings for him. A genuine smile that was reserved only for Hinamori spread across his face as his mind drifted back to yesterday…

He had one of the worst headaches of all time that afternoon, and having Matsumoto as a vice captain didn't help in the least. She was absent in a vice captain's meeting so he took the time to soak up the peace and quiet, and ease his pounding head.

"Captain!" Hitsugaya could hear Matsumoto sing through the closed door and his brain immediately began pounding against his skull again. The door banged open and Matsumoto marched inside the office. "Captain, I have great news! The meeting was cancelled!" she shouted. _He was going to kill her, he really was._ "It's a good thing too because I wanted to go to Rukongai and do some shopping!" _If only he could gather enough strength to reach his zanpacto and clobber her over the head with it._ "You don't look so good." He shot Matsumoto a nasty look.

"Really? I feel fine," he said sarcastically.

"You can't be sick!" Matsumoto slammed her hands on his desk which caused him to run a thick black mark across his signature. Hitsugaya closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to yell out every curse word in his vocabulary. "What about shopping?" She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

"I'm not sick. It's only a headache that _you _started," he said spitefully, "and besides, with what money were you planning on using?"

"I'm bringing Hisagi," she said simply. Hitsugaya grimaced internally. He would hate to be Hisagi today. "Well, I _was_ going to bring him."

He looked at Matsumoto's severely depressed face with annoyance. "Leave."

"Really?" she shouted excitedly. All depression was wiped clean from her face as she jumped up and clapped her hands together.

"Yes, you are only making my headache worse. Now, get out of my office," he commanded forcefully.

"Thank you, Captain!" Matsumoto called as she walked to the door. "Oh, hello Hinamori!" she said once the door was open and stepped aside to let Hinamori in the room. Hitsugaya's head perked up when he saw her. "Maybe _you_ can help the captain feel better," teased Matsumoto as she winked at Hinamori.

"_Leave_, Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya's patience was running dangerously low. She laughed as she shut the door but not before winking at him too.

"You're not feeling well, Hitsugaya?" Hinamori asked sweetly.

"It's nothing," was his short answer while he read through his paperwork. He heard Hinamori sigh and glanced up. She was sitting on the arm of the couch, watching her feet move back and forth.

Sensing his foul mood, she asked timidly but nonetheless courageously, "Do you want to go outside with me?"

"I'm not in the mood," he answered while flipping to the next page of the packet he was reading.

"Oh, okay," Hinamori said with disappointment. "Sorry to bother you. I'll just go now."

Hitsugaya's head snapped up to her. _You idiot!_ He was still annoyed with Matsumoto and his head still pounded, and he had taken it out on poor Hinamori. "Wait, Hinamori," he called after her. Then without realizing it, he got up from his chair, ran over to her and grabbed her wrist pulling her back into the room. "I want to go with you," he said far too breathlessly.

Hinamori looked at him in puzzlement. "But you just said you didn't want to."

"I changed my mind. I want to go with you." Hitsugaya's hand slid into hers and Hinamori blinked her big brown eyes.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do."

Hitsugaya flashed her a smile. "As long as it's just you and me."

A light blush spread across her cheeks and she nodded, slowly returning his smile. "Just you and me," she said and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Hitsugaya left his paperwork and bad attitude behind as he walked Hinamori out of the Tenth Division. He refused to let go of her hand and would gladly endure the snide remarks of the other captains and vice captains, like they did when he first held her hand, as long as she was happy.

Rumors spread like wildfire in Soul Society, and unfortunately for Hitsugaya and Hinamori, they were the topic of most of them. He had been confronted by many if they were together and had gotten so annoyed he resorted to threatening to release Hyorinmaru if anyone else asked him. He didn't want to imagine the rumors that would spread when people saw the two of them walking out of Seireitei together at the moment.

The pond was exactly where he remembered it to be and it looked exactly the same. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and as a gust of wind would sweep by, a few stray petals would dance around the pond. When Hitsugaya caught the look on Hinamori's face the smile that was creeping on his lips was gone in an instant. She was crying.

"What's wrong?" He asked in panic, worried that it was his fault.

"I can't believe you remember this place," answered Hinamori. She sniffed and rubbed at her tears with her palms.

"Of course I remember it but why are you crying?" He stood in front of her and took her hands from her cheeks, stooping his head down a little to peer into her sweet face.

She smiled and said, "I only came here when I missed you too much. When things got too hard I would come here and…" She blushed and looked down at her feet. "Talk to you like you were with me."

Hitsugaya lifted her chin with his fingers. "I'm here now so stop crying." He grinned and added, "Bed-Wetter." She attempted to glare but broke into a wider smile instead. "Come on," he said and took her by the hand and led her to edge of the pond.

Hinamori took off her sandals and socks, and waded in the shallow water. An oddly curious black and white fish swam up to her ankles but jutted off in a flash when she wiggled her toes. "Hitsugaya!" she called and splashed a handful of water at him. She laughed when he glared and his wet hair stuck to his forehead.

With a smirk, Hitsugaya bent down and was about to splash Hinamori when his head let out a fierce throb as if letting him know that the headache was still there. He winced and rubbed his head.

"Are you okay?" He heard Hinamori's worry stricken voice ask.

"I'm fine," he answered. Hinamori placed her hands on her hips and raised one eyebrow in a motherly fashion.

"I wish you would tell me what's wrong. I want to help you but you never let me," she said in an angry tone.

His eyes grew wide in surprise. When had she gotten so demanding? "It's only a headache."

"It seems to be a pretty bad headache," she said in her normal, soft voice. She gently smoothed the wet strands of hair from his face. "I think you've been under too much stress."

"You are beginning to sound like Unohana." He grinned, "But you don't scare me like she does."

She giggled slightly. "You are always helping me and I just want to return the favor for once and make you feel better," she said, then spun him around and guided him to a nearby tree where they sat down next to each other in the shade.

Summoning all of the courage he possessed, Hitsguaya laid his head in her lap. He felt her tense for a moment but she quickly relaxed and began to run her fingers through his hair. A sweet melody escaped Hinamori's lips as she hummed a lullaby. The soft fluctuations of her voice with the added caress of her fingers in his hair sent him right to sleep.

Hitsugaya drowsily opened his eyes, turned his head to look up at Hinamori and smiled. She was fast asleep with her head resting against the tree trunk. An unexpected feeling rose up inside of him.

"Momo," he whispered just to say her name, and still looking up at her from her lap, he continued very quietly, "Will you ever be _my_ Momo?" Tenderly, he raised his hand and ran his fingers across her silky cheek. "I've been your Toshiro from the moment I first saw you, weather you knew it or not…weather _I_ knew it or not." Then for reasons unknown except to the deepest desires of his heart, he carefully rose himself up and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

She only stirred slightly in her sleep, turning her head a little to the side. Hitsugaya laid his head back in her lap and could not, would not turn his eyes away from her. Then she woke with a start, immediately touching her lips in puzzlement. After a moment of taking in all of her surroundings, she caught Hitsugaya's eyes and blushed at the intensity of them. "Have you been awake for long?"

He shook his head and answered, "No, I just woke up." Hinamori resumed stroking his hair and he closed his eyes.

"Shiro?" she asked shyly.

"Hm?"

There was a long pause before she spoke again, "Never mind."

He opened one eye. She had a peculiar expression; one he had never seen before. There were no words he could use to describe it. That sparkle in her eyes, the glow of her face as she gazed down at him made even the sun look dim and lifeless. She smiled serenely when she saw one of his eyes open. Then he finally understood; she _was_ his Momo…

* * *

><p>Hinamori turned a corner while leaving the Fifth Division and bumped right into someone. The papers she was holding flew out of her hands, scattering in every direction. She didn't know who the man was, someone from the Fourth Division from the look of it, but he was kind enough to help her pick them up. He kept apologizing and all she could think to do was to smile sweetly. As she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, she caught a glimpse of someone leaning against the nearby wall. She beamed and her heart fluttered against her chest. It was Hitsugaya. He was watching her with amusement and a light grin across his face. She gave him a small wave, and he pulled his hand out of his pocket to send one in return.<p>

Soon the papers were all picked up and in Hinamori's arms. The man apologized again saying, "I'm sorry Vice Captain Hinamori! I should pay more attention to where I'm going."

"It's not all your fault," Hinamori answered pleasantly. "I wasn't paying attention either."

"Thank you!" he said and bowed. He turned to walk away and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Hitsugaya. "C-Captain!" the man sputtered and bowed low. Hitsugaya simply looked up at him without a hint of emotion before the man scurried off.

"You like scaring people, don't you," Hinamori remarked as she walked over to him, the stack of papers held closely to her chest.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's what I do best."

She let out a tinkle of laughter. "Oh! I have something for you." She searched through the papers in her arms and took out a small stack, handing it to him. "Here you go, Shiro."

He stared at the pile of paper in her hand with distaste but took it anyway. "Thanks, and don't call me Shiro. It's Captain Hitsugaya, Bed-Wetter Momo," he said and hit her lightly on the top of the head with the papers.

"And it is Vice Captain Hinamori, not Bed-Wetter Momo," she chided with amusement glinting in her eyes.

Suddenly, Hitsugaya grew serious in a business-like manner. "Hinamori, I need to speak with you."

"Of course," Hinamori said, fear beginning to rise. Immediately thoughts of something horrible happening sprang into her head. _Was he leaving on another long mission? Were there threats from a new enemy? _

Hitsugaya briskly walked away, expecting Hinamori to follow. She had to jog to keep up with him and she was beginning to get annoyed that he wouldn't slow down, but her fear rose faster. "Hitsugaya?" she called worriedly. "Hitsugaya?" she asked again when he didn't respond. He kept on walking but Hinamori managed to get a hold of his wrist to stop him. "You're scaring me Hitsugaya. What's going on?"

His face softened. "It's nothing to be scared about," he said gently and took her hand. His eyes scanned the area around them earnestly. "Come with me." Quickly, he led her to a supply closet. A fowl stench wafted from it once the door opened.

"Um, Shiro…" Hinamori said hesitantly. Hitsugaya only rolled his eyes and tugged her inside.

She was positive this was where the Fourth Division stored their supplies that were used to clean the sewers. It certainly smelled like it. It was a reasonably large closet but it was so full of brooms, mops and other cleaning tools that there was hardly room for the two of them. Conveniently, there was a light above them that Hitsugaya flicked on.

"So…what did you need to talk to me about?" asked Hinamori, trying to breathe through her mouth so the smell wouldn't be as bad.

"Right…" Hitsugaya grew quiet and became very adamant about how straight the papers in his hands were.

To keep him from stalling any longer, Hinamori carefully pulled the papers out of his hands. He met her eyes and gulped audibly. Why was he so nervous? Then it finally hit her. He couldn't be trying to confess his feelings? Could he?

"Momo, I…" he began but hesitated, and ran his hand through his hair in desperation.

Wanting to give him some encouragement, Hinamori whispered "Yes?" and closed the distance between them in one easy step.

He really wasn't expecting that. He sprang backwards and ran into a stack of mops that crashed to the floor, some hitting him in the back of the head on the way down. Hinamori couldn't help but to burst into a fit of laughter. Hitsugaya rubbed his head and managed a glare in her direction under all of his nervousness. "I'm sorry. What were you going to say?" she asked and ruled out 'encouraging' him again.

Hitsugaya sighed with slight annoyance. "Momo, I don't want to be friends anymore."

Hinamori's face fell dramatically. He didn't want to be friends?

"No, that's not what I meant!" He reached out to grab her elbows. "I don't want to _only_ be friends. I…I want to be more than that."

Was she hearing this right_?_ She must be dreaming; it was too good to be true!

Hitsugaya's hand rose to his hair again and he continued, "I'll understand if you don't feel the same. I thought you might…I was hoping…"

Hinamori placed a finger on his lips to stop him from rambling. "Hush," she said softly. "I feel the exact same way."

"You do?"

Hinamori answered by placing her lips against his. She very slowly broke away, looking up into Hitsugaya's wide turquoise eyes. Her face flushed bright red when she realized what she had just done, but a lopsided grin spread across Hitsugaya's face. Then he gathered Hinamori securely in his arms and kissed her right back.

* * *

><p>It was the third Wednesday of the month and that meant the Fourth Division was in charge of cleaning the sewers. Naturally, Hanataro was appointed cleaning duty by himself. He walked alone down the hallway to the supply closet just outside of his division, humming a cheerful tune.<p>

He pulled the keys from his pocket and stuck them in the key hole but found that it was already unlocked. "Someone must have forgotten to lock the door," Hanataro said to himself and continued his humming while turning the handle.

Expecting to find a dark room filled with cleaning supplies, Hanataro instead found two sets of eyes staring back at him, one brown and one turquoise. The couple was in a tight embrace but jumped apart when he walked in. The three stood staring awkwardly at each other, not knowing what to say or do.

The white haired young man recovered first. Clearing his throat, he said, "Hello, um…" He gave a sidelong glance at the girl beside him.

"Hanataro," she answered.

"We were…"

But Hanataro didn't hear the rest of the sentence. It had just dawned on him who these people were. How could he forget the slender, dark-haired beauty from the Fifth Division and the notoriously icy Tenth Division captain?

"…go now."

"Vice Captain Hinamori knows my name!" he blurted out suddenly. "I am unworthy of such recognition." Hinamori wore a puzzled expression and glanced wearily at the young captain next to her. "And Captain Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division, I am sorry for barging in on you. Please forgive me!"

Hitsugaya's eyebrows furrowed deeper on his forehead and he replied with annoyance, "Just don't mention this to anyone."

"I won't sir!" Hanataro said while Hitsugaya brushed past him, followed by Hinamori.

"Bye Hanataro, it was nice to see you," Hinamori said with a slight wave of her hand and Hanataro found himself waving back. She smiled before catching up with Hitsugaya and intertwined her fingers with his.

"I wonder what they were doing in the supply closest. Seems strange to me…" he thought out loud. He pondered for a quick moment and shrugged, "Oh well," and continued the happy tune he was humming.

* * *

><p>The sun set behind Soul Society, pouring bright pink, purple and orange all across Seireitei. The lingering perfume of the May flowers danced around in the air along with the cool breeze. On his porch, Hitsugaya stood lost in his private thoughts; his eyes stared unblinkingly at the landscape in front of him. He didn't move until a soft voice sounded behind him. He blinked but kept still. Night had fallen and the moon glistened against the inky sky.<p>

"Matsumoto just told me," Hinamori said gravely. Hitsugaya stayed where he was but let Hinamori's voice wash over him and tried to commit the sound to his memory.

The next thing he knew Hinamori had her arms wrapped around his waist and her chin on his shoulder. "Why do they always send you on the really dangerous missions?" she breathed in his ear. After a long while, she said in a fragile voice: "Toshiro…. Promise me you'll some back safe."

Hitsugaya took one of Hinamori's hands and pulled her in front of him. Tears trickled down her cheeks. _She's such a crybaby,_ he thought and caught a droplet on his finger. "I'll be fine. Just worry about yourself."

"But I don't care about me, I care about you. And you get reckless when you fight, so I'm worried you might do something stupid," Hinamori stated bluntly much to Hitsugaya's pride.

"Only when it involves you," he mumbled too quietly for her to hear. "I won't do anything stupid, and I promise I'll come back safe."

Hinamori folded her arms across her chest. "I am not convinced."

Hitsugaya's eyebrows furrowed and he sighed. Taking both of her hands and looking squarely into her deep brown eyes, he said, "I promise I'll come back safely, for you."

"That will do," Hinamori said with a grin and he grinned in return, pulling her against him. Hinamori sighed and clung to the front of his robe as if at any moment he might slip away. "How long will you be gone?"

"About a week," he whispered against her hair.

"I don't want you to leave," she replied sadly and lifted her head a little from his shoulder to see his face. "Can we stay like this forever?"

Hitsugaya placed his lips on her forehead. He also wished they could stay like this. It was so peaceful standing together under the stars. Hinamori snuggled deeper against him, and he broke into a wide smile. He had waited so long for a moment like this. "I love you Momo," he said in her ear.

She lifted her head and stared at him in wonder, and then smiled brightly. "I love you too."

Hitsugaya cupped Hinamori's face with his hands and kissed her soundly, unperturbed that Matsumoto had just walked onto the porch.

* * *

><p>As repulsive as it could have been to catch Hitsugaya and Hinamori swap saliva, Matsumoto thought it was kind of sweet to see the two of them together at last. Heaven only knew the two of them needed more happiness.<p>

For once in her life, Matsumoto felt bad for spying. It seemed she had stumbled upon something truly intimate as Hitsugaya and Hinamori stood together, whispering and smiling. Hinamori stole a kiss from Hitsugaya and took a step back to leave. She continued to back away while keeping her eyes fixed on him until she came to the edge of the porch. Hopping down from it, she glanced back and waved goodbye. Then she disappeared as she flash-stepped away.

As silently as she could, Matsumoto walked over to her captain. He looked up at her through squinted eyes and she stared back with a broad grin. They continued to stare down each other as if daring the other to speak first. But the longer Matsumoto looked at Hitsugaya, the incident she had just witnessed between him and Hinamori became sharper in her mind.

"I can't believe I caught you kissing Hinamori," she blurted out, unable to suppress the urge to rub it in his face.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and turned away from her but not before she caught the grin across his face. "What do you want anyway, Matsumoto?" he asked, walking a few feet away from her.

Matsumoto flicked a long lock of hair behind her shoulder and sighed dramatically. "I seem to have forgotten what I came here for…" She leaned back against the porch's railing in such a manner that would have made other men roll around on the floor like dogs. Hitsugaya, however, only shot her a nasty look.

"Then leave Matsumoto. I'm going to sleep," he stated flatly and turned around to open the door to his room.

"Wait!" She called after him. Hitsugaya stopped before walking into his room and turned to face her. "I just remembered what it was. Everyone's been wondering if you and Hinamori are together. The way you guys look at each other, how you're always holding her hand. This kid, Hanataro, mentioned something about you guys being in a closet. Even Kenpachi is suspicious..."

"Get to the point, Matsumoto."

"Well, they wanted me to ask you if it was true, but I got more than just a simple answer."

Hitsugaya didn't respond but shook his head and continued to walk into his room.

"Captain," Matsumoto said in a quiet voice. He stopped and faced her, his expression relaxed. "I'm glad you and Hinamori are together. You deserve happiness Captain, you really do. I'm so happy for the both of you!" Tears began to pool in her eyes and she gathered Hitsugaya in a tight squeeze.

"Thanks, Matsumoto," he mumbled awkwardly.

She pulled away from him and dashed a tear from her eye. "Alright, I'm tired. Good luck on your mission and don't do anything stupid or reckless," she warned as she walked off the porch and raised a hand in farewell.

* * *

><p>Torn, battered and bruised, Hitsugaya took his time walking out of Seireitei and towards the bustling Rukongai. Instead of making his way through the throng of people doing spring shopping, he took a left leading into the forest. His feet met the soft grass and relieved his throbbing soles. He readjusted the strap holding his zanpacto around his shoulder, easing the pain from his back. There was a sharp sting from the corner of his right eyebrow. He fingered it tenderly but it wasn't bleeding so he continued to trudge along. A cool breeze swept through his hair and pulled him along as if by some invisible force to his destination.<p>

Through a clearing of tress he spotted pink blossoms and a small blue pond. A newfound strength from within his gave him the power to hike the rest of the way. Amidst the trees was a small figure with long black hair, sitting on a smooth rock. Hitsugaya crept closer, making sure that his spiritual pressure was completely masked. He leaned close to the girl's ear and whispered, "Momo."

She sprang into the air with a loud yelp. The book that she had been reading flew out of her hands and landed several feet away. She spun around to face the intruder, her hand on her zanpacto but froze when she saw who it was. "Shiro!" she shouted ecstatically.

Hinamori flung her arms around his neck, nearly pushing him over but he managed to support himself on a nearby tree. An odd sound came from him then. It was a sound deep in his throat that he couldn't keep down. Hitsugaya laughed and he couldn't stop laughing. He was so happy!

"I missed you," Hinamori mumbled against his lips. Hitsugaya wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer and kissed her while still laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Hinamori while giggling herself after they broke apart.

"I don't know. I must be happy to see you," he answered and gave her another quick kiss.

She took a step back to take in his appearance. "You look terrible! Did you not see Captain Unohana yet?"

Hitsugaya looked down. There were several gashes in his robe along with many visible bruises and cuts on his skin. At the bottom of his haori was a large blood splatter that he was positive wasn't his. "Not yet. I asked where you were but everyone told me that they hadn't seen you for a couple of hours. I knew you would be here and left immediately."

"Come on, you're seeing her right now," Hinamori said and tugged on his arm. He didn't budge but folded his arms across his chest and gave her a stern look that said he wasn't going anywhere.

"I look worse than I am. After all, I did walk all the way here," he pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Alright, we can stay here for a while," she said, clearly not minding.

There was a sudden pick up of the wind and a strong gust that swept away the reminding flowers from their perch on the trees. They swirled and danced around them, and their fragrance filled Hitsugaya's nose making him sneeze. He heard Hinamori giggle and looked up to see her spinning around with her arms stretched out wide and her head tilted up to the sky. The flowers spun with her in a whirlwind of pink and white.

"It's almost like it's snowing in June!" Hinamori shouted excitedly.

Hitsugaya threw his head back with a jovial laugh. "You're such a dork, Bed-Wetter!"

"Come on, Shiro! It's fun!" she said with a laugh, still spinning around in circles.

"No way," he said flatly.

Hinamori stopped and looked at him with a frown. "Why not?"

"There is no way I am twirling around in flowers with you." He had to keep at least _some_ of his dignity. He was a twitterpated fool now that he had Hinamori. Even as he was on his mission, in a death match with his opponent, he began to giggle like some kind of school girl because something reminded him of Hinamori. That wasn't something he wanted to remember.

Big brown eyes suddenly appeared in front of him. "Please?" Hinamori begged with a hopeful smile. He hated it when she looked at him like that but he wouldn't give in.

"No, and nothing you say or do will change my mind," he said and watched as her hopes were dashed away.

"Fine," she replied with a huff, "I knew you wouldn't anyway." She took a step closer and he had to resist his initial reaction to back away. It still made him nervous when she did that. Her hand reached out to the cut on his eyebrow that had pained him earlier. She delicately touched it and was completely lost in her thoughts for a moment. Then her expression lit up. "Can you make it snow?"

"You want me to make it snow?" he repeated, making sure she wasn't kidding around.

Hinamori dropped her hand from his face. "Unless you can't…"

Hitsugaya glowered. She really knew how to get to him. Without much effort, he began to raise his spiritual pressure far above what he normally let off. Hinamori beamed when she realized he had caved in to her request. The air around them dropped significantly until they could see their breath. Grey clouds swirled above them and the wind picked up. A single snowflake fell from the sky and landed perfectly on the tip of Hinamori's nose. More brilliant white snowflakes fell, glittering down on them.

Hinamori looked up to the sky in wonder. "Now it really is snowing in June," she whispered.

"It's not that fascinating," replied Hitsugaya and dusted the snow from her hair.

"Yes it is, Toshiro. You make snow so beautifully." She didn't give him time to respond but exclaimed, "Oh, look at the pond!" She rushed over to it and Hitsugaya slowly followed after her.

Ice lined the edge of the turquoise water. The frozen ring quickly spread to the middle of the pond like wildfire. Hitsugaya caught Hinamori shiver, pulled her over and cradled her against him. He slowly dropped his spiritual pressure and the temperature began to rise. The snow glistened like tiny moons as the clouds moved apart for the sun to beam down. It was incredible to watch the seasons change from winter to spring so rapidly.

Hitsugaya peered down at Hinamori securely in his arms. Sensing his eyes on her, she looked up and smiled. He realized then that through the bitter winters he had trudged through in his life, there had always been spring. His spring.

_This is a story about a boy and a girl, of ice and fire, of the moon and the sun, of Winter and Spring. _

The End

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><p>It's over! I had too much fun writing this chapter (sorry that it's so long!). At first I thought it would such but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys are too. It's been a blast, my friends, and I am so thankful to all of those who stuck with My Spring! :D<p> 


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